Once Upon an Apple Tree
by NikiFrost
Summary: When the Seven Deadly Sins infiltrate Storybrooke and bring with them a dark force and a new curse to end all curses, Emma Swan and Regina Mills will have to learn to trust again, and somewhere along the way, they may even find love. First of my "Swan-Mills for five, please" series. [SwanQueen, Snowing, Rumbelle.]
1. Gray

_This takes place at the end of season 4A. As a refresher: Robin leaves Storybrooke with 'Marian', Elsa and Anna return home, and Rumplestiltskin was banished across the town line by Belle. To avoid getting into the tangled storyline of the Author, however, Henry will not have discovered the library and there will be no Operation Mongoose._

 _Swan Queen is endgame; I promise you they will get their happy ending. Hook and Robin Hood are minor characters and will NOT be interacting with Emma or Regina in any romantic way, so don't worry about that. You have my eternal gratitude if you decide to join me on this ambitious journey._ _Without further ado…_

* * *

 **Prologue**

"You can do this, Emma."

"We have faith in you."

"Save her, Ma, please!"

Every word cut into her like a hot knife, lashing at her back as she knelt hunched over Regina's motionless form, the brunette cradled in her arms. She could hear the scuffling from behind her; David and Snow holding tight to Henry as he sobbed, desperate to run to both his mothers despite what Emma had just done- and what she now needed to do.

Ruby, August, the fairies, everyone else; their silence was suffocating, hanging over her like a thick fog, and Emma's eyes blurred with unending tears that fell and stained the satin dress shirt of the woman in her arms. A shaky hand found its way to Regina's pale, colorless cheek, gently stroking the unresponsive face, a thumb brushing over the familiar scar on crimson red lips.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking and broken. "I'll fix this, Regina. I promise."

Carefully lowering Regina's lifeless form to the ground, Emma settled her right hand against her own chest and took in a deep, steadying breath. She could feel her own heartbeat beneath her fingertips, pounding erratically with fear and pain and a million other emotions that she couldn't even put words to. All she knew was that she had to do this; it had to work. The alternative was too painful to even consider.

She looked down at Regina's face- peaceful, as if she were simply asleep- and one emotion came to the forefront, the most powerful feeling of all that stilled her trembling hands and readied her heart for what was to come.

"I do love you," Emma breathed out, before plunging her hand into her own chest.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - "Gray"**

 _Why do they always run?_

That was the only thought running through Emma Swan's mind as she poured on the speed, her boots pounding on the concrete as she sprinted down the sidewalk. The two boys she was in the process of chasing down caught up to a third and-together-the little brats ducked around a corner and into an alley. Emma swore and took an earlier turn, hoping to intercept them on the other side of the building. To her great luck, the youngest of the boys stumbled and bumped into an adjacent fence after taking the turn too quickly. A hand shot out and snatched him by the collar before he could bolt away.

"Gotcha!" the sheriff jerked him back and he squealed so loudly that his two brothers stumbled to a stop and stared back at them, mouths gaping. Emma took the moment to catch her breath, chest heaving as she readjusted her firm grip on the youngest boy. "God. For three little pigs, you're pretty quick."

None of them said anything as the two older boys shuffled closer, unwilling to run off without their third partner in crime. Emma shook her head at them, almost scoldingly.

"John, Chet, and Duffy Bacon, right? Why don't you tell me what you were doing messing with someone else's motorcycle?"

By the time the three brothers had gotten through their excuses and argued over how their actions were justifiable, a headache had found its way to Emma's right temple and she found herself rubbing her fingers against it for relief. It still annoyed her to no ends that old grievances from the Enchanted Forest kept popping up, even now. Admittedly it was odd that someone new had appeared in town at all-they hadn't opened any new portals or rifts to the Enchanted Forest lately-but she wasn't having any of it, and stuck a finger up to interrupt as Duffy sucked in a breath to make another argument.

"Look, I don't care about what the big bad wolf did to you in the past. This is Storybrooke, and here, we don't go around sabotaging people's bikes. I see you causing trouble again, I'll be the one huffing and puffing on your doorstep next, got it?"

The brothers look unimpressed with her joke but muttered their promises to behave and hurried away before she could change her mind. Shaking her head, Emma headed back to Granny's to finish the breakfast she'd been denied earlier. Not that she could really blame Archie for disrupting her; the man was so sweet. He'd just been taking Pongo for a walk when he'd noticed the wannabee vandals, and immediately rushed to alert the Sheriff of their mischief. She just wished she'd had a chance to eat before going on a morning run.

The diner was more populated when she returned but thankfully her food and coffee had been left alone at the table in the corner. She returned to her seat after returning a few waves and greetings. Despite having been here a few years already, she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to always being acknowledged and greeted everywhere she went. It was such a change from the lonely life she'd known until now that she wasn't sure she wanted to get used to it. She wanted to remember the feeling of genuine surprise and happiness every time, to never take it for granted.

"Hang on, I'll get you some fresh coffee," Ruby offered as she ducked around the counter and grabbed the coffee pot. Emma smiled gratefully as her cup was refilled, forking down a mouthful of eggs and hash-browns in hopes that it would ease her headache. Ruby glanced out the window across the street to where a motorcycle was parked by the curb.

"What was that about, anyway?"

"Bacon brothers," Emma said around a mouthful. "Messing with someone's bike in broad daylight."

"The three little pigs? But they're sweet, even to me."

Emma just shrugged. "Apparently not to everyone. Which reminds me, I'll have to talk to Regina and Mary Margaret later. We have a new resident from the Enchanted Forest."

At that, Ruby's eyebrows shot up. "What? How? Who?"

The door chimed before Emma had a chance to respond, and in walked a man the sheriff had never seen before. Like August (and Hook, to some degree, though Emma was more annoyed than charmed by him nowadays) the man was young and handsome in a dark leather jacket and black jeans, with stubble on his rugged jawline and a smile that promised trouble playing on his lips. Unlike the other two, however, his hair was silver and his eyes were a bright, stormy grey. Emma thought 'silver fox' would have been a good descriptor if not for the aggressive, predatory way that he walked and assessed his surroundings.

"You!" Ruby snarled. Before Emma knew what was going on, the waitress had lunged at the man with a murderous look in her eyes.

"Ruby!" Emma jumped from her seat at the same time the man moved to defend himself, deflecting Ruby's outstretched arms and throwing her off balance so that he could grapple her from behind, effectively trapping her in a full nelson. Ruby's shriek of anger brought Granny running out from the kitchen in alarm.

"Whoa, hey! Let her go! Ruby, stop!" Emma winced as one of Ruby's flailing fists clipped her on the jaw. "Calm down!"

The waitress thrashed angrily, her eyes ablaze with hatred as the man gave Emma a cursory glance.

"Let her go," Emma said again, flashing her badge. The man's lip twitched and he relented, releasing Ruby and taking a big step back at the same time to avoid her flailing limbs.

"Ruby- Ruby!" Emma grabbed her friend, halting her attempt to attack the man again, and hissed into her ear, "Stop! You're making a scene in front of half the town!"

At that, Ruby bared her teeth but ceased her struggling. Emma was about to ask what in the world was going on when there was a telltale _click_ of a bolt being loaded.

"Get out," Granny said, pointing her crossbow at the silver haired man. Everyone in the diner grew silent, Emma included, uncertain of whether she should intervene or not. This morning had escalated _really_ quickly.

After a long moment, the man smiled politely.

"As you wish." He held his hands up in surrender and slipped out the door, his gaze never leaving Ruby's face as he did so. When the door snapped shut, everyone returned to their business as if nothing had happened, and Granny returned her crossbow to its hiding place under the counter. Emma still wasn't sure if, as Sheriff, she was supposed to have some sort of objection about the bed and breakfast owner storing a loaded crossbow in the diner. Then again, she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that bolt either.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked, bewildered and exasperated. Ruby glowered and pulled her arm out of Emma's firm grip.

"Ask him yourself," she grunted, then she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Anything else weird going to happen this morning?" Emma muttered to herself, giving her leftover breakfast a longing look before sighing and heading out the door. The stranger hadn't gotten far; in fact, he was just swinging his leg over the motorcycle parked across the street when Emma hurried towards him.

"Hey! Wait up."

She hadn't meant to flash him her gun, really. Her red leather jacket flared open as she ran across the street and his eyes landed on it with a twitch of his lip. Leaning back some, he offered a fuller smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What can I do you for?" he drawled lazily, his voice smooth and deep like a shot of whiskey. Emma faltered at his wording, but only for a moment.

"I'm Sheriff Swan. Just wanted to ask you about what happened back there."

A pause. Then, "Grayson," he grunted. "Ask away, Sheriff."

"How do you know Ruby?"

His eyes glinted at that. "We crossed paths a few times in the past."

"In the Enchanted Forest?"

"Yes."

"Want to tell me why she attacked you on sight back there?"

He shrugged. "Personal reasons, Sheriff. Let's just say that we were friendly, real friendly. Now we're not."

Emma arched a brow. "Okay. Who were you in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Still just Grayson." His lips stretched into a grin. "Though some called me the Big Bad Wolf."

Ah, there it was. It explained why the Bacon brothers had targeted his bike. "Huh. Are you like Ruby? A werewolf?"

"That I am." He gave a lazy nod.

"Alright. How did you get here? To Storybrooke, I mean."

Grayson's brows lifted. "I drove. On my bike."

Seriously, what was with men in leather jackets riding their motorcycles into town?

"But that's not possible," she said instead.

The newest barrier was still up, keeping residents in and outsiders out. Anyone who stepped out of the town line would turn around to find an empty road leading to the next town over, and anyone outside, well… they just drove right through Storybrooke without even knowing it. Even Rumplestiltskin hadn't been able to return after Belle banished him across the line. There was no way Grayson could have just driven in… yet her 'superpower' sensed that he wasn't lying.

Grayson was giving her an odd look as if she were speaking nonsense. "I've been in this world since the Evil Queen's curse, if that's what you're wondering about. Didn't end up in Storybrooke though, but from what I've heard, I should consider myself lucky. Now if it's all the same to you, Sheriff, I gotta look for somewhere to stay. I doubt I'm welcome at Granny's BnB."

"Uh, sure. Right." She stepped back awkwardly as his bike roared to life and he cruised it off down the street, leaving her with more questions than answers. Pulling her cellphone from her pocket, she automatically hit speed dial before remembering that a certain someone might not want to hear from her after Robin and Roland's very permanent departure from Storybrooke. With Marian, no less.

 _Crap. Hang up. Hang up!_

"What is it, Miss Swan?" She'd reverted to formalities again after Emma's absolute fuck up, and the blonde couldn't even be mad about it. She'd ruined Regina's happy ending by bringing Robin's wife back to life (entirely by accident, mind you.) It was a miracle Regina hadn't ripped her heart out and beat her to death with it. At the very least, she'd expected a fireball to the ass. Still, Emma couldn't help but wonder if the brunette would ever call her by her first name again, the way she used to. Emma had liked the way Regina said her name, with warmth and familiarity… and trust. God, she fucked up.

"Uhh." Words escaped her. Maybe if she hung up now, Regina would think it was an accidental butt dial.

"Stop breathing into the phone and use your words, Sheriff. I don't have all day."

 _Damnit._ "We have a new fairytale character in Storybrooke."

A pause. Emma heard the softest intake of breath and could almost visualize the former mayor's red lips sucking in oxygen in preparation for a lecture or scolding.

"It's the Big Bad Wolf," the blonde blurted in addition.

"That's not possible. No one can enter Storybrooke."

"Well according to him, he just rode his motorcycle into town today."

Another long pause. Emma was worried the brunette was silently judging her when finally Regina said, "I felt a pulse of magic earlier this morning. It was so brief I thought I was just imagining it, but perhaps it has something to do with our new friend."

Relief flooded through Emma at Regina's amicable tone. Maybe they could still work together after all.

"Take him in for questioning. He has to be working with someone else. The mutt isn't capable of magic, and it has to have taken some powerful magic to get into Storybrooke."

"I can't arrest him for no reason, Regina," Emma said, skeptical. "Maybe the barrier's acting up. I should go check it out first, see if there's a… hole or something."

"A hole doesn't just _appear_ in the barrier, Miss Swan. You'd be wasting your time. Tail the wolf around town and see what he's up to. Stalking is one of your specialties, isn't it?" Emma could almost envision the curl of Regina's lips as she sneered.

"I'll keep an eye on him," the Sheriff muttered, ready to end the call.

Before she could, Regina interjected with, "Did you make sure Henry finished his homework last night? It was due today and he has a pop quiz in the afternoon."

Emma froze, drudging up the memory of last night… in which she and Henry watched a marathon of Star Wars and ate popcorn until falling into a food coma. He hadn't mentioned homework. Was she supposed to ask him about homework? Oh crap. Regina was going to kill her. The phone slid away from her ear as she struggled for an excuse.

"Miss Swan?"

She could hear the annoyance rising in Regina's voice. She panicked.

"I should go." She hung up.

 _Ah crap._


	2. Emma

_Emma and Regina take baby steps towards repairing their friendship._

* * *

"Seriously, kid, you're going to be the death of me."

"Stop worrying so much, Ma."

Henry grinned around a mouthful of ice cream, already bouncing his knee with an oncoming sugar rush. He and Emma sat in their usual place in the playground, though with Henry's recent growth spurt they were crammed in side-by-side with a lot less space than before. Emma continued eying their surroundings warily, half expecting Regina to appear out of nowhere and rip her a new one for _'reinforcing bad behavior.'_ Henry bombed his latest quiz after failing to go over last night's homework and now she was buying him ice cream. She could already hear the venom in Regina's voice.

"How goes the reconnaissance on the big bad wolf?" Henry's question pulled her out of her stewing thoughts and had her refocus her gaze on him.

"Well," Emma sighed. "It looks like he's staying with Hook right now, since Granny won't let him stay at the BnB. As for his supposed partner in crime, he hasn't been meeting with anyone in particular."

"He's staying with Hook?" Henry's eyebrows lifted. Emma shrugged.

"On his ship, yeah. Apparently they knew each other from before."

"Huh." Henry turned his attention back to his ice cream a little too forcefully. Emma knew that look on his face- it was the same look he often got whenever she and Hook went through a 'phase' in their relationship, or whenever Regina made scathing remarks about Emma's _pirate boyfriend._

"What?"

"Nothin'."

"It ain't nothing, kid. Fess up."

Henry fidgeted, mashing his ice cream into the cup until it looked like soft serve. "Just interesting, that Hook was friends with the big bad wolf."

Emma quirked a brow.

"Okay, not interesting. Not very surprising, actually."

"Alright," said Emma, huffing and readjusting her elbows onto her knees. "What's going on? You've been weird lately whenever Hook comes up in conversation."

Henry looked like he wanted to deny it but no argument came to mind. He just shrugged his lanky shoulders and shoved another melting spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"Henry." When he glanced up at her, she continued, "You know you can talk to me about anything."

"I know, Ma."

"Okay."

"Mm hm."

His lips pursed. Emma gave him a pointed look.

"Okay," he huffed. "I'm just not sure you and Hook are good together anymore. You keep breaking up and getting back together. Over and over and over and-"

"Henry."

"It just doesn't seem like True Love to me. What if being with him stops you from finding your real True Love? I don't want him getting in the way of your happiness."

Emma just smiled and shook her head slightly. Leave it to Henry to be so sweet and thoughtful. Regina raised him right, that was for sure.

"I appreciate it, Henry. You don't need to worry though, we're… done."

"Really?" He looked skeptical.

"Really."

Her and Hook's last argument ended with Emma storming away and shouting at him to bugger off and not come back until he realized he was the one being an ass. That had been more than two weeks ago, and he'd yet to apologize. At first she'd been annoyed. They'd avoided each other like the plague, averting eye contact and awkwardly turning to walk in different directions when they passed on the street. Eventually they had to speak but it was always work related, and they even became pretty amicable at that. Neither had broached the subject of their split in the first place, however, and strangely, Emma was starting to be okay with that.

"Awesome!" Henry said with glee. Then, sheepishly, "I mean- I'm sorry to hear. But now you can get back to your search for your True Love."

"Sure, kid." Emma allowed herself a good laugh, wondering if this was indeed her turning the page on Chapter Hook. The thought wasn't unappealing. After all, how many times can you break up and get back together? How many times is too many?

"What should we call this one?"

"Call what?"

"The mission to find your True Love!"

"You can stop saying _True Love,_ for one. Um, how about… Operation…"

Her gaze went down as a bright red orb rolled across the playground and landed under her dangling feet.

"... Apple?"

"Operation Apple?" Henry wrinkled his nose.

"Are you feeding my son ice cream before dinner?"

 _Ah hell._

"Hi mom," Henry greeted, flashing her his sweetest smile. Regina skirted the jungle gym and stopped directly in front of them, one foot planted next to the apple, her arms crossed under her chest and a scathing look directed at Emma. To Henry, she spared a softened smile. Then back to glaring at Emma.

"Snow told me that Henry failed his quiz today."

 _Traitor!_ Emma thought, groaning inwardly. She and Henry both slunk down in shame, their shoulders hunched and their heads down. Regina clicked her tongue disapprovingly, but the shared mannerisms between blonde mother and son were amusing enough to dissipate her anger. It was kind of cute, actually, though she would never admit it.

"Come on, Henry. I'm preparing dinner, and you need to catch up on your missed assignment."

Henry hopped off the short platform, allowing his mother to rest an arm around his shoulders as they trudged for the car. Emma picked the apple up off the ground and followed, polishing the perfectly shaped fruit against her jacket.

She'd hopped into her yellow bug and followed after Regina's Mercedes at a polite distance, pulling up by the sidewalk on Mifflin Street at the end of Regina's driveway and leaving the apple on her passenger seat for later. The former mayor looked annoyed as Emma trotted up the driveway after them, her eyes narrowing as if considering body-blocking Emma from her front door and thinking better of it.

"I don't remember inviting you for dinner, Miss Swan," she sneered.

"You didn't, but I figured we should discuss Grayson."

Regina rolled her eyes and headed inside, knowing the blonde would follow regardless. Henry had already disappeared up the staircase to his room so she headed for the kitchen where a half-prepared lasagna was waiting for her. Slipping on her pristine white apron, she went about preparing the rest of dinner, upping the recipe so that there would be enough for Emma. The woman had the appetite and stomach capacity of a teenage boy.

Emma, meanwhile, perched herself on a bar stool at the other end of the kitchen island, her elbows on the marble and her chin on her hands. Her green eyes followed the brunette as she worked, appreciating the shapely curves of Regina's slender shoulders, narrow waist, and hourglass hips. She almost voiced her wondering thought of _"Do you work out?"_ before wisely snapping her mouth shut. She'd sworn to herself that she'd appreciate Regina's beauty in silence ever since the first day she'd laid eyes on the brunette. There was never really a time that Regina didn't have some sort of grudge or issue with her (and when they were actually friends, Regina was with Robin Hood) so it wasn't like there was ever a good time to admit that she found her attractive. Besides, Regina was more likely to set her on fire than accept it as a compliment.

"Are you going to tell me about Grayson or are you going to sit there uselessly and stare at me all evening?"

Emma shook her head and sat up straighter with a sigh, deciding it was a good thing the woman couldn't read minds. "Thing is, I haven't got anything. He's staying with Hook only because they were friends from before, and aside from having some sort of relationship-gone-sour with Ruby, he hasn't really been interacting with anyone in particular."

Regina turned around to cross her arms and give Emma a pointed stare. "That's all you came to tell me? You could have said so on my porch and been gone by now."

"I was kind of hoping you'd have some ideas," Emma mumbled.

"Must I also do your job for you, Sheriff?"

Emma nearly pouted as Regina put the lasagna in the oven and went to retrieve a bottle of red wine and a crystal glass.

"Speak with Hook then. Surely your pirate boyfriend would be happy to indulge you."

"I doubt it. He's not really talking to me right now."

Regina paused mid-pour and arched a brow at Emma. "Trouble in paradise?" came her mocking question as she topped up her glass and took a sip.

"I broke up with him. Permanently."

"Of course," Regina replied, clearly not believing her.

"Really," Emma insisted. "That's what Henry and I were talking about earlier, actually."

"Operation Apple?"

"Well- that's not really the name of it- but yeah. He said that he didn't want Hook to get in the way of me finding my real True Love."

"He _would_ say that, wouldn't he." The brunette turned away to supposedly glance at something outside the kitchen window, but Emma caught the twitch of a smile on her lips. Regina always softened up when it came to Henry. The kid was lucky to have a mother who loved him so dearly.

"And he's right," Emma continued. "True Love is supposed to be- I dunno- strong, right? We've broken up and gotten back together so many times, it just doesn't seem like we're really going anywhere. What kind of a future is that? Besides, it would be nice to be with someone who really gets me. He doesn't understand what I went through, what I still go through. To be fair, neither do my parents. Heck, I think you're one of the only people who _does_ understand me. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Emma had said it so casually mid-rant that her words didn't fully register to Regina right away. She made a sound of agreement but her expression was distracted, as if lost in thought. Then, to Emma's surprise, Regina retrieved a second crystal glass from the cabinet.

"Wine?" the brunette offered, just as casually.

"Sure. Why not?"

Regina chuckled quietly, having said that very same phrase when Emma offered to do shots with her only a month ago, and slid the second glass of red across the counter to the blonde.

* * *

By the time Emma had left, Henry was tucked into bed and Regina was curled up in the armchair of her study, sipping her third glass of wine while a warm flame crackled in the fireplace. Dinner had been surprisingly pleasant; Henry shared school gossip while the women discussed Grayson's arrival with bickering kept at a minimum. They had moved to the parlour to chat a while longer over their second glasses of wine, sharing stories about Henry from the few weeks they hadn't talked to each other, until Emma finally called it a night and bid the brunette a soft-spoken "Goodnight, Regina."

The house was quiet now, save for the comforting crackle of the fire. Regina swirled her glass, sinking back into the plush cushions with a relaxed exhale. _I'll go to bed after I finish this,_ she thought to herself, lifting her glass to her lips for another sip when her phone buzzed on the end table with a text message alert. She anticipated a message from Henry asking her to bring him a glass of water or something, but was surprised to find a text from Emma instead.

 _[Thanks again for dinner. I'll investigate Grayson and Hook tomorrow, bright and early.]_

Regina felt herself smirking as she typed her reply.

 _[Glad to hear you're doing your job, Sheriff. Goodnight.]_

She finished off her wine with a flourish, set the glass in the sink, then quietly headed upstairs to get some sleep. She'd just slipped into her silk pajamas when her phone buzzed again. Another text message from the blonde.

 _[I'm sorry.]_

Regina sat on the edge of her bed, blinking at the message when another one came in.

 _[I know I've said it a hundred times and I know it doesn't fix anything, but I'm still sorry. I meant it when I said I would bring back the happy endings. Including yours.]_

The brunette sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. She'd been so distracted all evening that she hadn't even thought of Robin. Tired, she focused on typing her reply, sent it, then slipped into bed and turned off the lights.

* * *

Emma sat on her bed with her legs stretched out beneath the blankets, bouncing her foot back and forth while she waited for a response. She'd stripped down to her bra and some boxing shorts the moment she got into her bedroom, though she sat upright against the headboards to stop herself from falling asleep. She was tired, but she couldn't sleep yet. She needed a reply. Their evening had been so pleasant that she was almost desperate for some acceptance from Regina again. Her words from earlier had been entirely true; Regina was the only friend who really knew her, really understood her, and not being friends was driving her crazy.

She was starting to chew on her nails with worry when her phone finally buzzed with an alert. Sliding down and snuggling into her pillow and blankets, Emma held her breath and opened up the text message from Regina. A smile slowly spread across her lips.

 _[Go to sleep, Emma.]_


	3. Madam Mayor

_Emma and Regina retrieve a package from their mysterious visitor, and something wicked is unleashed on Storybrooke._

* * *

The boatyard was quiet this morning, a light breeze ruffling Emma's hair and bringing with it the cool scent of the calm waters as she trudged down the walkway. The Jolly Roger was docked at its usual location with the ramp down, and Grayson's motorcycle was parked just next to it. There was a ball of nerves in Emma's stomach that she couldn't quite place but she ignored the feeling and headed up the familiar ramp.

"Swan," came Hook's voice from atop. He had been fiddling with a rope and now hopped down to the deck to meet her, his expression uncertain and guarded. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" The usual cockiness in his voice was lacking as he set his hand (and hook) on his hips.

"Is Grayson here?"

By the slump of his shoulders, he was clearly expecting something else. After a moment, he shook his head. "He left to get breakfast."

"Oh." Emma mirrored him by setting her hands on her hips, standing somewhat stiffly. "Don't you think it's odd that he just rode into town?"

"No stranger than sailing a ship through a portal in the middle of the ocean."

"He somehow used powerful magic to get through the barrier, Killian."

"It's Killian now?"

They stared at each other for a long moment. Emma thought of her conversation with Henry yesterday and lifted her chin. Hook sighed and leaned against the base of the mast, as if he no longer cared to hold himself up.

"Grayson can't use a lick of magic other than to turn into a dog, and despite his nickname he's not a terrible person. We're not all villains, you know." He gave her a pointed stare and it was Emma's turn to avert her gaze. "If you're so hellbent on finding out how he got through the barrier, ask him about the package he brought."

"Package?" Emma repeated, baffled.

"Aye. He was paid handsomely by a stranger to deliver a package to Gold. Of course by the time he got here, Belle had already banished the crocodile across the town line."

Emma's brows furrowed. Why would someone hire the big bad wolf to deliver a package to Gold? They were a few weeks late. And how did that get Grayson through the barrier? One thing was for certain, she needed to get her hands on that package.

"Are we going to talk about what happened?" Hook asked when Emma had fallen silent. She grimaced, uncertain of what to say or how to say it. The chime and vibration from her coat pocket saved her.

"Sorry. I should get this…"

She pulled out her ringing cellphone and turned for the ramp.

"Is that it, Swan?"

She turned, startled at the hurt in his tone. She cared for him, still did, and she knew he cared for her too. He'd said that she was his happy ending, and once upon a time, she thought she was happy with that, but somehow, it didn't feel like it was enough anymore. It just wasn't enough.

"I'm sorry, Hook." A lump formed in her throat and she forced it down. "I'll always care about you. But you and me - it's over."

He turned away from her, casting his gaze across the waters. "Aye," he said, so softly that she almost didn't hear him. "Message received."

Emma hurried down the dock, pressing her phone to her ear and hunching her shoulders up against the wind.

"Sheriff," she said, her voice rough.

"Emma." Mary Margaret's voice floated through the phone. "Are you okay? You sound upset."

"I'm fine, mom. What's up?"

"I just spoke with Regina. Well, you remember what we talked about the other night? When I said that Regina was better at politics-"

"You wanted her to be mayor again, yeah."

"I asked and she said she was willing to do it again. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea."

"Really?" Mary Margaret and David had been in that weird "in between" spot of being parents to Emma and friends with Regina, so they were unfortunately privy to the tension between the two women after Robin's departure from Storybrooke. It was understandable that Mary Margaret was a bit hesitant to bring it up now.

"Yeah. That would be great, really."

"That's wonderful, Emma. How goes the search for Grayson?"

Emma climbed into her patrol car as she recounted what she knew, her mother listening with a patient ear. They debated back and forth before agreeing to meet back at the mayor's office after Emma procured the package. Ending the call, the sheriff sunk back into her seat and waited. Texting Regina came to mind but she resisted, not wanting to push her luck when it finally felt like they were making a bit of progress.

She didn't have to wait long; Grayson appeared at the end of the street ten minutes later, a take-out bag in one hand and a carrying tray of coffees in the other. Emma stepped out of the cruiser and he altered his path to head directly for her, a charming smile playing on his lips.

"Good morning, Sheriff. I take it you're waiting for me."

"I am." She shuffled to meet him halfway, hands jammed in the pockets of her jeans. "Wanted to ask you about that package you were delivering."

Grayson's eyes glittered, but he didn't ask how she knew about that. Instead he deflected with, "Ah, yes. It's for Mr. Gold. Don't reckon you know where he went? I was told he left town a while ago. Shame, really. I was hoping to stay a while."

"Doesn't matter now. I need to look at that package, if you don't mind."

"Actually, I do mind," he rumbled. "I was paid a hefty sum to deliver that into the hands of Mr. Gold. No Gold, no package."

"Well Gold's gone and no one knows where, so you won't be completing that job any time soon. I need to examine that package."

"You seem real concerned about that package, Sheriff."

Emma frowned. "It's a… security risk."

"Security risk?"

"Yes."

"Really, Sheriff?"

"Hand it over, Grayson."

He sighed, tilting his head for her to follow. They made their way back down the dock to where his bike was parked next to the Jolly Roger's ramp. Hook wasn't visible from down here but Emma kept her head down nonetheless, just in case he looked over the edge at them.

"You're a stubborn one, Miss Swan, I'll give you that much."

Emma cringed. "Still just Sheriff to you. Or Emma if you insist. None of that _Miss Swan_ crap."

He shrugged, setting down his takeout items and unlocking the back storage compartment on his motorcycle. From within, he retrieved a small package wrapped in plain brown paper. The address to Gold's shop was stickered on one side, but there was no return address.

"Who paid you to send this?" Emma asked, taking it from him and turning it over in her hands. It felt oddly warm and heavy to the touch.

"Don't rightly know. Had a letter appear under my door asking me to flicker my bedroom lights if I was willing to deliver a package for two grand. I did, and next thing I know, there's a knock on my door and this package left outside with the money in an envelope. Never saw who left it, but I figure I should come through on the job since they were obviously watching my apartment."

Emma certainly didn't trust him as a person but it felt like he was telling the truth, too. Was it really possible that the big bad wolf was just a pawn in someone else's plan?

"Thanks for your cooperation. I'm going to hold onto this for a while," she said as she backed away. Grayson looked like he was about to object. "Consider your job done. I'll give this to Gold if I see him."

She waved and then turned and hurried away, ignoring his grumble of protest. A quick drive down towards town center later and the Sheriff was hurrying up the stairs to the mayor's office, taking it two steps at a time. She reached the top and pushed her way through the office door, flushed and a bit sweaty now that she was inside the heated building with her turtleneck sweater and leather jacket.

To her surprise, she was greeted by the sight of Regina sitting at the mayor's desk, with Mary Margaret and David in the seats across from her. The brunette looked as regal and powerful as ever, obviously at home with her hands clasped and resting on the mahogany and her items neatly spread across the desktop like they used to be.

"That was fast," said Emma.

"Miss Swan," Regina greeted, smirking as she leaned back in her plush seat. "You've finally procured the package, I see."

 _Back to 'Miss Swan' again,_ Emma thought, disappointed, as she approached the desk and set the package down on it.

"Yeah. No luck on _who_ hired Grayson to deliver this, but it's definitely magical."

With a brow arched in curiosity, Regina reached forward to unwrap the parcel. "Let's open it up and see then."

"Wait!" Mary Margaret blurted, throwing out her hands to stop her. "What if it's dangerous?"

"Well would _you_ like to handle it instead?" Regina retorted, impatient.

"Isn't there some sort of spell you can do to check it for traps?" said David.

"Not everything is a trap, Charming."

"I just agree that we should be careful with it. This thing was meant for _Rumpelstiltskin,_ after all."

"Oh, for the love of God," said Emma, grabbing the package and ripping open the paper. Mary Margaret gasped.

"Emma!" She exclaimed, clutching her chest as if Emma had just picked up a live grenade. Her daughter rolled her eyes and held out the unwrapped item for them all to see. In her hands was an old music box of some sort, the wood worn and the paint chipped. A small brass latch held it shut.

"I can feel it," Emma said, glancing up to meet Regina's dark eyes. "It almost feels like it's... vibrating."

Dark brown orbs stared at green ones for a long, drawn out moment, suspiciously narrowed, then Regina broke eye contact and grabbed the box from the Sheriff, taking care not to touch her hands.

"Stand back," she ordered. Emma, Mary Margaret, and David all moved away from the desk. Taking in a deep breath, Regina held one hand over the box, her palm and fingers glowing red. The box, in turned, glowed a dark, shadowy colour, and the air suddenly smelled of ozone. Mary Margaret wrinkled her nose.

Emma watched, transfixed. She'd seen Regina doing magic a hundred times before, but today she looked especially powerful. The red glow of her magic reflected in her dark eyes as her hair fluttered softly around her shoulders, lifted by some magical breeze that didn't reach the others. Emma shifted uncomfortably, feeling a strange tightness in her chest that made her breathe just a little harder.

"This must have gotten Grayson through the barrier," Regina said after a moment, her brows furrowed with concentration. "It's powerful. I can't tell what it is, though."

She relaxed, the glow dissipating as she gently set the box down on her desk.

"I think it would be best if I locked this away in my vault. We don't know what it contains and frankly, I don't care to find out."

"Okay. I'll come with you," said Emma, ignoring the surprised looks on her parents' faces, and the slight frown on Regina's.

"That won't be necessary, Miss Swan."

"It's just as a precaution," Emma insisted. "You said it was powerful. I should be with you just to make sure nothing happens before it's safely locked away."

Regina's red lips parted to argue, then clamped shut.

"Fine," she snapped, rolling her eyes slightly. "Let's get this over with then."

Emma and Regina both reached for the box at the same time, their hands bumping together in their attempts to grab it first. For a split second there was a zap between their fingers, like a static shock.

Then the box flung itself open and a wave of black energy exploded from within.

It hit Emma and Regina first, throwing them off their feet. Regina slammed back into the window, the blinds crunching under her body, while Emma sailed backwards across the room, landed on her back, and slid. Mary Margaret and David got the tail end of the explosion and were thrown backwards off their feet, landing with a resounding _thud._ Above them, a black shadow poured from the box like mist, pooled in the air for a moment, then shot out of a cracked window.

Emma groaned, blinking away the blurriness from her eyes and reaching up to rub at the back of her head. She'd landed on her tailbone and now rolled onto her side, wincing. "What the hell?"

She sat up to see her parents gingerly picking themselves up off the floor, then her gaze landed on Regina who had slid to the floor after impacting the window.

"Regina!" She scrambled to her feet and hurried around the desk to check on the newly re-appointed mayor. Regina grunted and slapped away her hovering hands.

"I'm fine, Sheriff. I'm not a fragile porcelain doll." She stood up on her own despite Emma's protective hovering, wobbling only briefly on her black high heels before bracing herself against the desk. The music box lay open, the wooden interior black and charred as if freshly burned. A strange symbol was carved into the underside of the lid, and now it had a fresh gouge running through it. Emma leaned in closely beside her and frowned at it.

"What the heck is that?"

"Nothing good," Regina growled, her voice deep and husky. "Go do your job and track down that _thing,_ Sheriff. I'm going to pick Henry up early."

"You think Henry's in danger?" It was clear from her tone that she meant she wanted to check on Henry too. David caught on first.

"You should both go make sure Henry is okay. Snow and I will drive around town and keep an eye out."

"Where's Neal?" Emma asked.

"Ruby's babysitting him. They'll be fine," Mary Margaret reassured her.

"I'll text her just in case. Come on, Regina. We can take the squad car."

Emma headed straight for the door with the others following close behind. Regina looked none too pleased to climb into the passenger seat of the cruiser but she did so without complaint as Emma fired off a quick text to Ruby and then pulled out onto the street.

Storybrooke didn't look any different and there weren't any monsters running rampant, so Emma allowed herself a moment of respite, sinking back into her chair and feeling the slight ache of new bruises along her back. Regina tapped her fingers rapidly against her thigh as they rode through town towards the school.

"Relax, it'll be fine," Emma soothed.

"It is not _fine,_ Miss Swan. Our magic combined has released whatever it was that had been locked in that box. I don't know why it was meant for Rumpelstiltskin but whatever it is, it means trouble."

"We'll deal with it when it comes, Madam Mayor." Emma's tone closed off with irritation and Regina spared her only a glance for the return of _'Madam Mayor'_ before she glared out the window. Five long minutes finally took them to the only elementary school in Storybrooke, where Regina glided out of the car before Emma had even come to a full stop.

The Sheriff hurried after Regina once the cruiser was parked haphazardly in the drop-off zone, wincing as the brunette stormed into the reception area and demanded for the secretary to have Henry pulled from class.

 _Zero tact, that one,_ she thought, somewhat amused as she leaned against a wall and watched the secretary stutter into her phone. A few minutes later and Henry came out accompanied by his current class's teacher. Emma vaguely recognized her as one of the fairies.

"What's going on?" The woman asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Regina sniffed. "Come, Henry. We're going home early today."

As the brunette stalked off with Henry, Emma paused to rattle off a quick explanation to the fairy. "Keep them inside until their parents come to pick them up. We've got things handled."

She couldn't blame the fairy for giving her a skeptical look. Things always got pretty bad before they managed to fix things. Trying not to think too hard on it, the blonde rushed after her son and his other mother, finding them already in the cruiser. Regina was scowling when she finally slid into the driver's seat and revved the engine.

"Where to?"

"My vault."

Emma hesitated. "Why…?"

"Henry will be safe there."

Henry startled. "Whoa, wait. You're locking me in the vault? What's going on?"

"It's for your own protection, Henry."

"What about everyone else? You're just going to leave them out here? That's not fair. I'm not going in the vault."

"It's not up for debate."

Emma turned to Regina, frowning. "Hey, I want to keep him safe too, but locking him up isn't the answer."

"And what would you know about keeping people safe, Miss Swan?"

Emma bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Regina sat back and stared forward, avoiding Emma's gaze. "Nothing. Just drive."

Emma gripped the steering wheel and drove away from the school, fuming silently. When she cruised out onto the main street by the clock tower, Regina huffed.

"This isn't the way to my vault."

"We're not _going_ to the vault."

She spotted David's truck coming towards them and honked her horn just once, pulling to a stop next to the library. David pulled up just next to them and he and Mary Margaret hopped out.

"Come on Henry," said Emma, hopping out. She braced as her mother flung herself at her for a quick hug, then redirected the tiny brunette towards Henry. "You guys find anything?"

"Nothing yet," said David. "All seems quiet. Snow thought she could smell a hint of magic in the woods when we checked the south road."

"I'm sure I did," said Mary Margaret. "Like burnt air. There was no one out there, though."

"None that we knew of," David finished.

"Okay." Emma ruffled Henry's hair and squeezed him around the shoulders briefly. "You guys take Henry home and hunker down. Regina and I will head out and get to the bottom of this."

"But I want to come with you, Ma," Henry complained. "I can help! Grandpa's been letting me practice with a real sword now-"

"You did _what?"_ Regina glared over the roof of the cruiser and David winced.

"Sorry kid, but your mother and I would feel a lot better if you stayed with your grandparents for now."

"But _Ma."_

"This isn't up for debate, Henry."

Henry's brows knit together, incredulous as he looked between both his mothers. Regina's expression was caught between surprise and smugness. David put a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"They'll be fine, Henry. They always are. Let's head back first, alright?"

He nudged the grumbling teenager into the backseat of the truck. Mary Margaret spared one more worried glance for the Sheriff and Mayor.

"You two be careful."

With the Charmings safely off with their son, Emma got back into the car and quirked a brow at Regina's expression. One warning look from the brunette made the blonde shut her mouth and concentrate on driving.

"Take us to the south road," the mayor ordered, her chin lifted and her hands primly folded on her lap. Despite their earlier spat, Emma took one look at the regal woman sitting next to her, shook her head slightly, and stifled a smile.

"As you wish, your Majesty."


	4. Lust (NSFW)

_Emma suffers a strange affliction after an untimely attack from one of the unleashed demons, and Regina gets more than she bargained for in her attempts to help the Savior._

* * *

 _The slither of sheets. A soft moan. Hot skin weighing down on her._

" _Emma," a husky voice crooned, crimson red lips brushing against her neck. A shiver ran through Emma's body as she shifted in bed, feeling the brunette press in against her, their legs tangled together beneath the blankets. She slid her hands along slender hips and around her back, feeling the gentle curve of her spine and shoulders before sliding further up and tangling her fingers into dark hair._

" _What are we doing, Regina?" she asked, her voice breathless as the brunette shifted up onto her elbows to look down at her, dark eyes glittering in the pale moonlight filtering through the window. Those lush red lips curved up into a devilish smile, causing the blonde's heart to skip a beat. Wordlessly, Regina leaned down and slowly captured Emma's lips in a kiss. She reached back to grab Emma's hands and bring them up over her head, lacing their fingers together as she took the Savior's lower lip into her mouth and nibbled ever so gently._

 _Emma groaned, tensing against her makeshift restraints as Regina ground their hips together, igniting a fire within her belly just begging for release. She pulled her hands free so that she could grip the brunette's hips and push her aside, only to roll over and plant herself atop the infuriating woman with a vengeance._

 _The blonde claimed the brunette's lips in a passionate kiss as she nudged her legs apart, keeping them braced with her knees as she reached down to find Regina's heat. Long fingers found the woman's silken folds, already slick with desire, and elicited a sensual moan from Regina's plump lips._

" _Is this what you want, my Queen?" Emma prompted, stroking her softly._

" _Yes," Regina breathed, arching her back and wrapping her arms tightly around Emma's shoulders, pulling her as close as she could. "Please."_

 _The Evil Queen, begging for her. Emma groaned as desire flushed through her, clouding her vision in a haze of lust. She slipped in a single finger and covered Regina's mouth with her own to muffle the woman's soft cry of delight. A second finger followed, and then a third. Regina's hips lifted from the bed to meet Emma's hand thrust for thrust, moaning into her mouth even as teeth and tongues collided._

" _Let go," Emma whispered, breaking their kiss to lick and nibble her way down Regina's long neck, feeling the brunette tense and tremble under her every touch._

" _Emma," her lover breathed, her voice hitching with each gasp and whimper as they rocked and shifted against each other. Emma moved faster, feeling Regina clench and quiver around her fingers, desperate for release. "Em-ma."_

" _Come on, Regina," Emma coaxed, finding the swollen nub of her clit and rubbing her thumb across it. "Come for me."_

 _She shoved her fingers in and pressed her thumb down roughly, feeling the brunette jerk and arch up, and then Regina cried out her release, her nails digging into Emma's back with a vengeance. Emma swallowed her cries with another deep kiss, unrelenting fingers still pumping into the brunette and causing her to quiver uncontrollably and whimper into her mouth._

" _Oh, god," Regina gasped, moaning between kisses. "Emma!"_

* * *

"Emma!"

Emma jerked awake and was instantly assaulted by a slice of pain emanating from her forehead. She groaned and rolled onto her side, only vaguely aware of the person kneeling next to her, a hand on her shoulder.

"Wha- what the heck-?" Her vision cleared enough for her to turn her chin and find Regina hovering over her, concern etched into her features. She looked otherwise prim, proper, and very much fully clothed. Emma glanced around at the woods surrounding them, reached up to touch the swollen lump on her forehead, then very literally growled. "Fuck!"

"Clearly you're alright," Regina said, looking unimpressed as she stood up and moved back a step. "Get up, Miss Swan."

"No, really, I don't need assistance," Emma muttered sarcastically under her breath as she clambered unsteadily to her feet, her head pounding with pain. With one hand pressed to her forehead, she said, "What the hell happened?"

"We cornered one of the demons. Almost killed it, too, until it knocked you over like a bowling pin. You were out for almost ten minutes, I thought I'd have to teleport you to the hospital."

"Shit." Then, more confused, " _One_ of the demons?"

"There were seven of them hovering together. Don't you remember? How hard did you hit your head?"

Emma moaned, then a thought occurred to her and she stiffened with alarm. "Did- did I say anything while I was out of it?"

"No." Regina furrowed a brow, suspicious and curious. "You were moaning like a baby though. I assumed you were in pain. Why?"

"Nothing," Emma said a little too quickly, her cheeks growing red. "Did you see where those demons went off too?"

"Gone," came the irritated huff. "I tried to track them but they're too far off, and I figured Snow and Charming wouldn't appreciate my leaving you out here unconscious."

"Well okay. Let's go." Emma spun on her heels and hurried back towards the car, wobbling as she went. Regina followed, rolling her eyes. The blonde reached for the driver side door when her companion cleared her throat.

"You're not driving in that condition."

"I'm fine, Regina."

"Well I don't trust _you_ driving _me_ in that condition, so move over."

The brunette nudged her aside and climbed into the driver's seat, leaving Emma no choice but to ride shotgun. The goose egg on her forehead ached angrily and she slumped back into the seat, closing her eyes. Images of a naked and moaning Regina popped into her mind and she groaned, wondering why in the hell she was having wet dreams of the woman and why in the hell it was haunting her _now_ of all times. Seriously.

"You're getting that checked out," said Regina, frowning as she pulled the car around and headed back for town.

"No, I'm fine, really. Let's keep looking."

"Miss Swan, your face is starting to resemble the Hunchback of Notre Dame. We're getting you checked out."

There really was no arguing with the mayor once her mind was set on something, especially now that she was the one driving. Emma resigned herself to her fate, sitting quietly and resting her eyes as they headed for the hospital. She was feeling uncomfortably hot and wished she'd worn a tank top under her turtleneck sweater. Regina probably had no desire to see her in a bra.

"Don't sleep," warned Regina.

"I'm just resting my eyes."

"Well don't. We're almost there."

Emma grumbled something under her breath and Regina just lifted a brow, ignoring her the rest of the way until she pulled into the drop off zone of the hospital and climbed out. No one was going to tow the Sheriff's cruiser, so she left the vehicle there and physically dragged Emma into the emergency room by the arm.

"I can walk fine on my own," Emma said, her voice tense as the brunette's fingers wrapped around her bicep. Regina pointedly ignored her and pulled her to the front, giving her very curt demands to the attendant about needing to see Dr. Whale immediately.

"Regina," Emma said through gritted teeth, pulling away more forcibly. The brunette gave her a warning glare but returned to speaking to the nurse who appeared. Emma, in turn, stumbled away a few steps for space, feeling uncomfortably flushed and feverish. Her arm still tingled where Regina's hand had been, as if imprinted by her body heat.

"This way," the nurse said, motioning for them to follow. Regina made to grab Emma again but the blonde jerked away and hurried after the nurse, her expression pinched. Baffled, Regina followed.

"Dr. Whale will be in shortly." The nurse left them in a room with a hospital bed, the curtains pulled shut over the windows and the fluorescent lights shining bright.

"Bed," Regina ordered, pointing.

Emma groaned, wondering if the brunette knew how she sounded, and collapsed into the bed with a huff. "Can you turn the lights down? It's too bright in here."

Regina wordlessly hit the light switch, casting them in comforting shadows. Emma curled onto her side, facing away from Regina, and concentrated on breathing slowly and evenly. She could feel the other woman in the room, felt her gaze on her back. Heat pooled between her legs and she stifled another moan.

"Really, Miss Swan," Regina sighed. "You're worse than Henry when he gets a papercut."

"I don't think he's ever gone through the same thing," grunted Emma.

"He's had plenty of goose eggs from falling off things. Not that you would know."

"This is different."

Regina snorted. "How so?"

"Stop talking, Regina." Emma curled up tighter, her breath coming harder as heat spread through her body and set her nerves on fire.

 _What the hell is happening to me?_

"Miss Swan?" Regina sounded genuinely concerned now. Her heels clicked as she approached the bed, and Emma visibly jerked as if struck.

"Don't!" She half shouted, her voice strangled. Regina ignored her and grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to roll onto her back.

"Honestly," she said, exasperated. "Let me take a look at you. What's taking Whale so long?"

She lifted a hand, her fingers glowing with the beginnings of magic. Before she could react, Emma had grabbed a fistful of her shirt and dragged her down, pulling her into a desperate kiss. Regina went rigid with shock as Emma's other hand grabbed her by her hair, trapping her there.

A moan escaped her as the blonde drove her tongue into her mouth, both women getting their first tastes of each other. And then something pulsed around them, a brief flash of light and a rush of wind.

Emma was the first to jerk back, releasing Regina and pressing herself backwards into the bed, her eyes wide with terror. Regina stood frozen, bent over the bed, her shirt wrinkled where Emma had been clutching her. Her expression was equally shocked.

"I am _so_ sorry," Emma whispered, looking a hair's breadth away from having a heart attack.

Blinking, Regina straightened up, smoothing out her shirt and clearing her throat. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment and she was glad they'd turned the lights off.

"Well, well," came Dr. Whale's voice. Both women jumped and looked to the door where Whale stood looking mildly amused, his hands in his pockets. "The Evil Queen and the Savior. Who would have thought?"

"That meant nothing," Regina snarled, immediately bristling. "And you will tell _no one_ , or I'll rip your arm off again and _shove it down your throat._ "

Whale held up his hands. "My lips are sealed. I was told I was needed here- _'immediately, or else.'_ You really shouldn't threaten my staff, by the way."

Regina breathed deeply, calming herself. Emma still lay frozen like a deer in headlights. Her eyes were so big that Whale would have chuckled if not for the very angry Queen glaring him down right now.

"Emma was attacked and hit her head when she fell. Something's not right with her. You might want to check her for brain damage."

To Regina's mild surprise, Emma had no quips or retorts to that.

"She certainly looks like she's about to pass out," Whale said as he approached, though they all knew the real reason for that. Regardless, he took out his flashlight pen and checked Emma over, testing her eyes and checking her vitals. "Well, I can run some scans, but she seems alright to me."

"You didn't see her earlier," Regina insisted. "She was feverish and-"

"I'm fine," Emma blurted out, nervously. "I'm better now. I don't need scans."

"You weren't _fine_ a minute ago."

"Well I'm fine now, so leave it alone!"

"Miss _Swan-"_

"If I may," Whale interrupted, holding up a hand. Both women directed their glares at him. "Perhaps Emma was suffering the effects of a spell or a curse of some kind."

"How?" Regina demanded. "I was with her earlier. No one cast anything on her."

"Well, that creature knocked me over, maybe it did something," Emma suggested.

"Either way, I think there was magic at work. And it was broken just now…" Whale quirked a brow. "By True Love's kiss."

"What?" both women snapped. Emma looked mortified and Regina looked ready to snap the neck of a little woodland creature just to prove how _lovable_ she was.

"I'm merely stating what I saw," he said, frowning. "That magic pulse of light earlier. True Love's kiss. It would explain why Emma's afflictions disappeared as soon as you kissed."

"You're drunk, Whale," Regina growled.

"Four months sober, actually," he sniffed. "Regardless, I doubt Emma needs any medical attention other than an ice pack for that bump. If you'll please excuse me."

He hightailed it out of the room before either woman could snap at him again, leaving the Mayor and the Sheriff very much alone. Regina glared at a speck on the wall, ignoring the feel of Emma's gaze. After a long moment, Emma cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Should we get back to work then?" Her question was sheepish and hesitant.

That snapped Regina out of her staring contest with the wall. " _I_ will get back to work. _You_ will return home and tend to that hideous bump on your head."

"I'm fine now, really," Emma insisted.

"You certainly don't look fine."

"Then use your magic to heal this thing."

"Use your _own_ magic and heal yourself."

"I don't know how. Can you just do it for me?"

"Honestly, Miss Swan-"

"Moms!"

They both turned, startled, as Henry rushed into the room, a look of worry written all over his face. "Ma! Are you okay?"

"Henry! What are you doing here?" Emma grunted as the boy flung himself across her body in a hug.

"The nurse called to tell us that Regina practically carried you into the hospital," said David as he and Mary Margaret entered the room, blinking in the dim lighting.

"She didn't _carry_ me anywhere," Emma complained.

"Indeed. Your daughter stumbled around just fine on her own," said Regina, stepping back out of the way so that Mary Margaret could go hover frantically over Emma. David leaned in the doorway, arms crossed.

"So I take it you found the creature?"

"One of seven, it seems," Regina replied, giving David her full attention and ignoring Emma's seeking gaze. "At least that's how many I counted when we glimpsed them in the woods. We cornered one, but it knocked Emma flat on her ass and then escaped before I could kill it."

Emma muttered something inaudible.

"Emma, your forehead," Mary Margaret lamented. "Does it hurt?"

"It would stop hurting if _Regina would heal it for me."_

"Oh. Regina?"

Both Charming women looked to Regina, the blonde one squinting and the brunette with a look of hopeful apprehension. Of course they would gang up on her. The mayor would have accused the Sheriff of being a child if said Savior's parents weren't in the room staring expectantly at her. Regina relented and strode over to the bed.

"Face me," she grumbled. Emma lifted her head, locking gazes with the mayor. They stared at each other a moment. Regina lifted a glowing hand, then, unexpectedly, smacked Emma on her wounded forehead with it.

"Ow! Seriously?"

"Stop complaining. I healed you."

Emma lifted her fingers to gently touch her forehead and the swollen lump was indeed gone. She still felt a little sore but there didn't seem to be even a hint of bruising left over.

"Huh. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Regina grumped. "Really." She turned and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Emma called, not wanting the brunette to leave without her.

"Back to work, Miss Swan. There are demons frolicking around Storybrooke, if you haven't already forgotten."

"I'll come with." Emma slid out of bed, feeling Henry and Mary Margaret flank her on either side as if worried she'd tip over.

"No." Regina's voice turned hard and her brown eyes became steely. "I work better alone. Patrol if you must, but stay out of my way."

And with that, the mayor was gone. Emma nearly pouted, already missing the brunette's presence and wishing she'd stop pushing her away.

"Mom seems upset," Henry observed, his brows furrowed together. "What happened?"

"Don't worry about it, kid. You know your mom. Just needs some alone time is all." _I may have also scared her off by making out with her, but you don't need to know that._

"Emma, you should take a break and have something to eat," Mary Margaret suggested, giving her daughter's arm a squeeze. Emma vaguely remembered the feeling of Regina's hand on that very same spot and gave an involuntary shiver.

"Yeah, okay. Granny's?"

There was a round of agreement as they all ambled for the door, Mary Margaret with her arm around Henry and David with his arm around Emma.

At his grandmother's mention of milkshakes, Henry cheerfully dragged Mary Margaret ahead towards the truck. David grinned, then glanced at his daughter and tilted his head with a lift of his brow when he noticed the dark smudge of red on her lips.

"Emma, are you wearing lipstick?"


	5. Pride and Prejudice

_The citizens of Storybrooke are starting to suffer the effects of the mysterious new demons in town. Meanwhile, Emma and Regina have a little chat._

* * *

Emma sat in her yellow bug, slouched in her seat and munching quietly on an apple. Her fingers itched to type up a text message to Regina, asking if the brunette had any luck finding one of the creatures, but another part of her was still grumpy that the mayor insisted on working alone.

"I could've helped," she muttered to herself. " _Stay outta your way,_ my ass…"

Not that she'd had any luck. She'd spent the entire day rolling through town and all along the perimeter, keeping her eyes out for any unusual activity and finding nothing. Once or twice she thought she caught sight of a familiar black Mercedes, or Regina's figure striding around a corner, but by the time she got there the other woman was nowhere in sight. Part of her was starting to wonder if the mayor was purposely avoiding her.

By the time noon rolled around, Emma picked up a grilled cheese and a coffee from Granny's and resumed her patrol on foot, stopping to chat with everyone she passed by and asking around if anyone had noticed anything out of the ordinary. An hour later and she was back in the bug, checking the town perimeter again.

"Quietest demons _ever,_ " she complained as the clock tower came into view. She parked the bug just out by the bed and breakfast and hopped out, needing to stretch her legs again. Emma began walking aimlessly, letting her feet lead her. Around the block, then past the library, then down a street and into the residential areas. She had been so focused on looking for those shadowy creatures that the sight of Regina's house caught her off guard.

The house was empty, she assumed, since it had been agreed upon that Henry would stay with David and Mary Margaret until the current threat was dealt with. That, and Regina's Mercedes wasn't in sight. Then again, it might be in the garage.

Curiously, Emma pushed open the gate and headed up the short walkway, running her fingertips along the familiar hedges on either side. The white door was pristine as always, and perhaps even a little bit daunting as Emma lifted a hand and hesitated, wondering if she should knock. Would Regina even open the door? Probably not if she knew who it was. Emma wondered if she could duck under the peep hole to hide herself and then thought better of it. That was pushing the boundaries of creeper territory.

"Regina?" she called out, giving the door a firm knock _._

* * *

Regina sunk back into her couch with a sigh, rotating her wrist to ease the ache. She'd finally tracked down one of the creatures, alright. Damned thing had knocked her aside like a ragdoll and sent her sprawling. Certainly not one of her most elegant moments. She'd just healed her sprained wrist but the ache was going to linger for another long moment or so. She considered taking a break and brewing some tea when there was a knock on her door, accompanied by a frustratingly familiar voice calling out her name.

"Emma," she growled to herself, a predatory glare crossing her features as she stood and glided towards the front foyer. She swung the door open, a sneer on her lips. Emma winced, as if she hadn't expected the door to open at all.

"Hey, Regina," she said, faltering.

"What do you want, Miss Swan?"

"Just…" Emma rubbed the back of her neck. "Can we talk about what happened yesterday?"

The mayor's eyes narrowed and her chin lifted, red lips pressing together in contempt. "There is nothing to talk about."

"You heard Whale. We… that was True Love's kiss."

"You're mistaken," came the growling reply.

"Look, I know I screwed up- multiple times- but you can't pretend that didn't happen. You can't pretend that there isn't something between us. I… I care about you, Regina. I really do. Don't tell me this was all just in my head."

"Oh, but it was."

" _Regina,"_ Emma pleaded. "Please. I didn't know before, but I know now. _I feel it._ You're my True Love." Had this been any other day, any other situation, she would have felt like a fool, but now the words pouring from her lips felt right. Completely, utterly right.

And then Regina looked at her with an expression so full of hatred and disgust that Emma felt like her heart was being crushed into a million pieces.

"True Love?" The mayor sneered, her voice turning cruel and nasty. "What makes you think that I love you? That I could _ever_ love you? A thief, a criminal, an incompetent fool who abandoned her own child, lost control of her powers, and let her boyfriend die. Not to mention the fact that you constantly fail every day at upholding your so-called 'Savior' status, while I, the _Evil Queen,_ fix every single one of your mistakes. You say you want to bring back the happy endings, but all you do is _disappoint._ What is worth loving, Miss Swan? Absolutely _nothing._ "

Emma stood frozen, her lips parted, as if she'd just been slapped across the face and then laughed at by the mayor. Having her heart ripped out of her chest might have been less torturous. Green eyes narrowed, threatening tears, but she held them back and sucked in a breath to relieve the sudden tightness in her chest. Her relationship with Regina had never been easy and it certainly hadn't always been civil, but this… She never expected this. Not from her. Not from the only person in her life who understood her in a way no one else could.

"You…" her voice cracked and no other words came. Shaking her head with disbelief, she backed away, one step, two steps, then turned and ran.

Emma ran so hard and so fast that she was halfway down the block when those tears finally spilled over, streaking her cheeks and running down her neck. Her breath came in a ragged gasp that made her lungs ache painfully.

 _Why?_

Her strides shortened, stumbling. She bumped into a fence and hurried around the corner, as if getting out of view of the mansion would lessen her humiliation. Nothing could get the image of Regina's sneer out of her mind, though. Those red lips were twisted in disgust.

 _How could you?_

The residential block gave way to a street leading to town centre. Emma ducked into an empty alley in a blind stumble for privacy, shoved her hands through her hair, and let a howl of raw pain escape her throat, sounding more like a wounded animal than a human. A second and a third followed as she struggled to control her sobs, chest heaving with effort.

Her shoulders shook with each strained gasp until she was able to quiet herself, her teeth clenched together and her eyes squeezed shut. That Regina could tear her down in a single speech was humiliating, but worse, it was more hurtful than anything she had ever experienced. She'd opened herself up to the possibility… made herself vulnerable and _hopeful_ in front of Regina, one of the few people she had ever truly trusted, and the woman betrayed her. Was their friendship all a lie then? Had Regina secretly thought all of those horrible things about her this whole time?

 _It had to be you._

Emma forced her feet to start moving. Slowly making her way to Granny's, she rubbed away the evidence of her tears and put on her mask of cold indifference. Anything less and she would break down, and she couldn't do that. Not in front of anyone. That was a side of herself that she didn't want anyone to see.

The door chimed softly as she stepped into the Diner, but she was immediately assaulted by a cacophony of arguing and bickering. Her mask cracked into one of pure confusion as she took in the irritable faces filling the restaurant. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she looked for her friend and tried to focus on the current problems at hand. Distractions were good.

"Ruby," she called, moving to the counter. "What's going on?"

Her dark haired friend turned, a scowl marring her usually lovely features. "Everyone's being a dumbass, nothing new there. What do you want, Sheriff?"

"Uh… bear claw and a coffee, please."

Ruby turned without a reply and returned with her order a short moment later, dumping them towards Emma.

"Five eighty," she sniffed.

Emma dug out some bills and change from her pocket, feeling a strange unease settle in the pit of her stomach at the way her friend was frowning at her. "Are you okay, Rubes?"

"Excuse me?"

Emma cringed. "You seem upset."

"If I want a therapist I'll hire a professional. Are you gonna pay for this or what?"

Wordlessly, Emma left the money on the counter, grabbed her things, and shuffled aside. Ruby went back to work without even a goodbye. The Sheriff's green eyes slowly scanned the crowd and she began picking out instigators. Happy was glaring and muttering at Sneezy. Tinkerbell was scarfing down what looked to be her third bowl of ice cream sundae while Blue watched on in disgust. Nova was snogging _Archie_ in the back booth, unabashedly straddling his lap, and he wasn't even fighting it.

 _Oh my god._

"Hey sister, what's going on?"

She whipped around to find Leroy entering the Diner, looking blissfully ignorant of the weirdness that was going on. Before he could notice his beloved Nova all over another man, she grabbed him by his shoulders and turned him away.

"Leroy, something weird is going on and I don't want you to freak out."

"What? What is?" He glanced around, unable to see Nova now that the spellbound couple were nearly lying down in the farthest booth. He did, however, furrow his brows at all the arguments happening.

"I think it has something to do with those creatures Regina and I accidentally released from Gold's box. Everyone's acting different. Bad different."

"You still haven't caught them yet? I thought you said you had them handled." He scowled.

"Yeah, I'm working on it, just…" she trailed off, deep in thought. The hospital fiasco came to mind. She tried not to think too hard about it. "Listen. I think Nova's under a spell too, and I need you to break her out of it."

That got Leroy's attention. "What do I need to do?"

"Well… she's, uh, currently _confused_ and making out with Archie in the back booth."

"What?!"

"Leroy, focus!" She shook him hard. "Just go over there, grab her, and kiss her, okay? If my suspicions are right, your True Love's kiss will break the spell."

He made a face at the idea of kissing Nova after her makeout session with Archie, but nodded and expanded his chest with a deep breath. "Alright, sister. Time to get my girl back."

Emma patted his shoulder as he marched his way over to the back booth. She could see the grimace on his face as he pulled Nova up as gently as he could, though she was clinging to Archie pretty tight. Turning her towards him, Leroy planted a big kiss on her mouth.

The effect was pretty instantaneous. There was a pulse of an almost pinkish light emanating from their kiss, and then Nova was in Leroy's arms, bursting into tears and apologizing profusely. Archie remained half-reclined in the booth, looking dazed and confused. Poor guy, Emma wasn't sure how they were supposed to help him- or anyone else without a true love partner, for that matter.

It did make one thing very clear to her, however.

"Leroy!" She called, interrupting Nova's tearful babbles. The dwarf maneuvered towards the Sheriff while keeping Nova comfortingly tucked against his side.

"You were right," he said, sounding somewhat dumbstruck.

"Yeah, but that tactic won't work for everyone. Think you can help keep the peace here while I figure things out?"

"Sure. Hey, maybe Nova will have some ideas."

"For what?" The fairy sniffled.

"Leroy will fill you in," said Emma. "If you guys manage to free Blue, she might be able to help too. I've gotta go find Regina right now, you know how to reach me if you need me."

Without waiting another second for a reply, she turned and rushed out of the Diner and across the street to her cruiser. Her coffee and takeout bag were left on the patrol car's hood, and then she was sprinting down the sidewalk as if her life depended on it. A few people out and about had called out to her but their voices were drowned out by the much louder voice inside her head.

 _You didn't mean it. You couldn't have._

Her boots pounded heavily on the concrete as she poured on the speed.

 _You wouldn't._

The Sheriff nearly broke the iron gate off its hinges as she flung it aside, flying up the walkway and slamming herself bodily against the door. The entire frame rattled from impact, and then she was banging her fist against the wood.

"Regina!" she shouted, her voice raw with desperation. "Regina!"

Her fist met empty air as the door was yanked open, and suddenly she was sailing backwards through the air. Emma cried out only once before hitting the ground and rolling painfully to a stop at the end of the walkway, something she hadn't hoped to experience a second time. And like the first time, Regina stood in the doorway looking absolutely livid.

"How dare you intrude on my home again?" she spat, taking a few threatening steps forward. "What makes you think I want to see you?"

"Wait!" Emma said, holding up her hands submissively. "I just wanted to apologize. You were right. I don't deserve someone like you."

At that, the brunette narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but did not lash out at her again. Emma felt her heart pounding in her chest and prayed that Regina could not hear the traitorous sound. She needed to get closer.

"It was stupid of me to think that…" She struggled for the right words, letting herself stumble. "I'm not good enough for you. I'm not even good enough for Henry. He deserves to have the best mother, and it's not me. It never was. I think- I think he should stay with you from now on, permanently." She softened her tone, coaxing, and inched forwards. "You know what's best for him. You always have."

"Of course I do. I'm his mother," Regina said matter-of-factly, her chin still lifted as she regarded Emma in the same way a scientist regarded a lab mouse. She'd slowed enough to meet Emma halfway, just barely towering over the blonde thanks to her black stilettos.

Praying that her suspicions were correct and she wasn't committing suicide right this moment, Emma lunged forward and grabbed Regina, pulling her into a rough kiss. There was a sudden pressure at her chest and she gasped into the brunette's mouth, shuddering even as a pulse of magic emanated from between them.

"Regina," she breathed, her expression pained. Regina stared into her eyes, her own dark brown ones wide with a mixture of fear and regret. They stood so close that their noses brushed. A moment later, Regina unfroze and the pressure in Emma's chest relaxed.

"Emma," the mayor whispered, unclenching her fingers from around the blonde's heart and retracting her hand from within her chest. Emma visibly sagged with relief. "I… I'm so sorry."

She shook her head and started to back away, stopped only when Emma snatched her wrists and pulled her closer.

"Don't," Emma begged, her hands firm and warm around Regina's slender wrists. "Don't."

She tugged, coaxing her closer and closer still. Emma's green eyes fluttered shut as she leaned forward and kissed the older woman, gently this time, tentatively. Regina's resistance melted at the younger woman's touch and she felt herself drawn in closer, wrapped into the blonde's strong arms. How Emma could kiss her so softly and lovingly after what she'd just said, what she'd just done, was a mystery to her.

"Emma," Regina whispered again, her breath hot against the blonde's lips.

"No apologies," said Emma.

"Emma, please." The brunette leaned back, pushing against Emma's chest even as the blonde held on tightly to her, refusing to release her. "Don't excuse my behavior because of the curse. What I said back there…"

It was then that Regina lifted a hand and traced her fingers across Emma's cheeks, feeling the chapped skin and aching at the thought of having made the blonde cry.

Her voice came out as a broken whisper. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know, Regina." Emma leaned into Regina's hand, her lips curving up into the softest of smiles. "I don't blame you."

"You should." Again Regina tried to pull away, but the blonde wouldn't let her.

"Don't fight me," Emma pleaded. "Please."

"I'm not-" Regina sucked in a breath and tried again. "I don't want to fight you. I just- this is a lot. So much is going on lately, and after all that's happened, with Daniel, with Robin-"

The look of disheartenment on Emma's face had the mayor reeling with a sudden feeling of protectiveness, not for herself, but for the blonde.

"Oh, Emma," she whispered, automatically touching her cheek, "I'm not fighting this- I'm not fighting us. I just… I need time."

Green eyes lifted to brown ones, and Emma leaned forward so that their foreheads rested together in an intimate, comforting way.

"I can wait," came the soft reply.

"It might take me a while."

"I can wait."

"I don't know if… if I'm ready…"

"I can wait."

"What if-"

"Regina." Emma kissed her on the tip of her nose, causing the brunette to flutter her eyes shut. "We shared True Love's kiss. Believe me, I can wait."

At that, Regina dropped her gaze, unable to meet Emma's eyes. Tinkerbell's fairydust had led her to Robin. It had all but told her that he was her soulmate- yet here she was, feeling emotions for someone who should have been, by all accounts, her sworn enemy.

Her gaze lingered on Emma's left hand where it rested on her arm, finding a small blue tattoo on her inner wrist. She'd never noticed that before.

"What's that?" Regina voiced aloud. Emma glanced down at it.

"A flower tattoo."

Regina gave Emma's shoulder a shove and the blonde laughed.

"A Lyon flower. Clematis Ville de Lyon. Why?"

Regina shook her head with disbelief, smiling ever so slightly. "Just wondering."

Emma grinned, then cleared her throat and looked very serious. "Hey."

"Yes?"

"Since I might be waiting a while, can I have one last kiss?"

When Regina did not respond right away, Emma feared she might have pushed too far and ruined the moment. To her pleasant surprise, however, the brunette was the one to lean in and press a soft, tender kiss to her lips, lingering there for a few long, sweet seconds.

"Go home and get some rest," the mayor ordered, though her tone was soft and vaguely amused. "We'll get back to work tomorrow."

"As you wish, Madam Mayor." Emma flashed another grin as the brunette stepped out of her arms and regained her orderly composure. Turning, the blonde headed for the gate. Before she could slip out of sight, Regina's voice called her back one last time.

"Emma?"

Emma glanced back, attentive.

"Thank you." With one parting smile, Regina turned and disappeared into the house.

There was a bounce in the Sheriff's step as she walked all the way back to her car.


	6. The Sloth and the Glutton

_Snow and Charming take note of their daughter's new-found happiness. Meanwhile, Emma and Regina deal with the afflicted Hook, Grayson, and Ruby situation._

* * *

"You look happy." Mary Margaret had a baffled but hopeful smile on her face as she poured coffee out into three mugs. Emma had just stepped out from her bedroom, shrugging on her coat and strapping her gun holster to her hip.

"It's a good day," Emma replied, flashing a grin as she shoved some bread into the toaster. She'd considered telling her parents about her True Love's kiss with Regina, but decided it was better to wait and see where things went first. Regina needed time, after all, and the last thing she wanted was for her parents to go hounding after Regina like the overprotective heroes they were. Anyway, some part of her delighted in their little secret. It was a secret they didn't need to share with anyone, not yet. It was all theirs.

"It's a good day?" David repeated, entering the kitchen and moving to kiss his wife. To their mild surprise, Emma didn't make a teasing "ugh, guys!" remark or even glance away. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle even brighter than usual.

"Mm hmm." Emma just kept grinning as she grabbed some butter and jam from the pantry.

"Snow, our daughter is grinning so wide, her face might split."

"What could be the reason, I wonder?"

Her parents' tones were more teasing than anything, and to Emma's relief they didn't actually press her for more info.

"Henry still sleeping?" She asked, helping herself to a mug of coffee.

"Yup. He and Charming stayed up until almost two, watching all the Lord of the Ring movies."

"That explains the battle cries I heard in my sleep," Emma laughed, smearing butter and strawberry jam on her toast. "Are you guys taking him and Neal with you today?"

"They're safer with us than staying here alone," said David. "Besides, we'll just be checking in on people and keeping the peace. If an angry mob starts up, we can handle them. We've dealt with our share of angry mobs."

Mary Margaret snort-giggled into her coffee mug.

"If the demons' influence gets too bad, call Regina and I, we'll come help," said Emma.

"Don't worry about us. You two just concentrate on getting rid of the demons."

Emma nodded and poured her coffee into a travel mug. "Alright then. I'll see you guys later. Give Henry a hug for me when he wakes up."

"In a rush?" Mary Margaret asked, one eyebrow lifted so high that it nearly disappeared under her bangs. Emma carried her toast between her teeth and gave a muffled reply, scurrying for the door and bypassing her father as she did so.

"Hey," David jokingly complained, arms open expectantly. Emma chuckled and hurried back to hug him.

"Wuv oou," she mumbled around her toast.

"Love you, stay safe!" David waved her off as she hurried out the door, then turned around to exchange a curious glance with his wife. "She seems excited to get back to work."

"Or back to Regina," Mary Margaret said, stifling a laugh. David's eyes popped.

"What? Not like-"

"Yep, exactly like that."

He looked sorely confused. "But-"

"Oh come on, Charming. Don't tell me you didn't notice her nearly glowing when she came home yesterday. After _Regina_ sent her home for rest."

David rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well, sure, but… wow. Our Emma. With Regina. Our daughter with the Evil Queen."

"Rehabilitated Evil Queen," Mary Margaret corrected. "She's really changed for the better. I'm happy for her." She nodded resolutely, giving her coffee another long sip. David sat down at the kitchen island, grabbing his mug.

"You're okay with this?" He asked, baffled. He had thought Snow would be the one most upset, if only because of her very long history with Regina. They were all friends now, sure, but Regina had once been Snow's _step-mother._ World jumping and freezing time had really done a number on their age differences.

"If you asked me that a year ago, I would have been upset," Mary Margaret admitted. "But we've all been through a lot, we've all grown in different ways, and they're good together. They make each other better. Regina deserves to be happy, and if they make each other happy, then…"

She glanced up, and David was smiling proudly at her. "Then I'm good with it."

He leaned across the counter to kiss her again. "So am I."

* * *

The house was awfully quiet without Henry around. It also meant that Regina could go about her morning routine in her silk pajamas, knowing no one would see her in her just-out-of-bed state. It was a rather nice change; she'd even allowed herself an extra ten minutes in bed this morning, stretching out like a languid cat until she felt like getting up.

Breakfast was a small and healthy serving of an omelette with pepper, tomato, and spinach, paired with a mug of tea and a rectangular slice of parmigiano. (The mayor secretly loved cheese, though she'd never admit that to Emma in fear that the blonde would start bringing two helpings of Granny's grilled cheese sandwiches to their stakeouts. Emma didn't understand the difference between processed cheddar slices and _real_ cheese.)

With plates washed and put away, Regina sat at the island counter finishing her mug of tea, her phone lying on the marble in front of her. She'd expected text messages, but nothing had come. Maybe it was for the best. Emma was respecting her desire for time to adjust, after all. Still, a part of her was fretting about the change in their relationship. Yesterday had been crazy, to put it simply.

Regina found herself chewing on her lower lip with uncertainty.

They had shared True Love's kiss- twice now. She couldn't deny that it had happened, either. She did, in fact, care for the Savior, though when it started happening, she wasn't sure. They'd hated each other when they first met; it had been a passionate feeling of loathing and anger. They were fighting over Henry. Then everything that happened in Neverland… maybe it was then. They'd learned to trust each other there. Emma had trusted her when they had been kneeling together over Henry's body, when Pan had nearly killed him. That was one of the first times she could recall Emma referring to him as "our son."

Everything that happened after that, it was all build up. Regina had once told herself that she was just not used to having friends- that she wasn't accustomed to having something close to a _best friend_ , like Emma had sort of become. She'd assumed she just wasn't used to being around someone who understood her so well and accepted her so fully, that the warmth in her chest was simply from finding a kindred spirit. Who could have known that Emma was her real True Love, the one with the Lyon tattoo? Fate had a pretty shitty sense of humor. Ironic that throughout her whole relationship with Robin Hood, Emma had been there all along.

 _Emma._

Regina pursed her lips and wrapped her fingers a little tighter around her mug. Emotions roiled in her chest and not all of them were good. Did yesterday's kiss make her feel like a giddy young woman again? Yes. Was she seriously starting to doubt the validity of what "fate" told her? Yes. Had her past relationships with Daniel, Graham, and Robin made her wary of the possibility of getting burned a fourth time? Definite yes.

 _But Emma wouldn't._

Would she? Emma meant well but she'd made mistakes in the past, a lot of them, some of which negatively affected those around her. Was the risk of heartbreak worth it? Or rather, was Emma worth the risk?

Her heart had no answer to that, just more confusion and hesitance. A part of her still wondered- feared- whether this was all just the result of Emma hitting her head. She'd fallen pretty hard after all, it would explain her behavior these past few days. Why would she have feelings for the Evil Queen, after all? What a silly notion.

But that didn't explain their True Love's kiss.

Sighing and shaking her head, Regina poured the cold remains of her tea down the sink and went to get dressed. She settled on black dress pants, a blue silk shirt, and a simple black suit jacket over top. Assuming they might have to go tromping through the woods again today, she wore flat shoes. This meant she'd be yet another inch shorter than Emma…

Not that she cared or anything.

* * *

"Good morning, Madam Mayor." Emma's voice was bright and cheery as she nearly skipped up the walkway, her own travel mug in one hand and a fresh coffee from Granny's in the other. Even Ruby's uncharacteristically sour mood couldn't rain on her parade today.

Regina had just been locking up her door and now turned to greet the blonde with an amicable nod, her features trained into a neutral expression.

"Good morning, Sheriff Swan."

Emma offered up the coffee and Regina took it, her brows lifting with surprise.

"Black with one sugar, right?"

"Yes... thank you." Regina's lips tilted up ever so slightly as she bypassed the blonde and headed for the sidewalk. To Emma's delight, the brunette climbed into the passenger seat of the bug without question.

"We should interrogate Grayson first and figure out what he knows," she said as soon as Emma was buckled in.

"Grayson? But he was just the delivery boy. He didn't know what was in the box." Emma grabbed the bright red apple sitting in her cup holder and replaced it with her travel mug, taking a big bite out of the ripe fruit. Regina watched out of the corner of her eye.

"And you deduced that with the help of your _superpower,_ did you?"

"Mm hmm."

"Well, I would feel better if we spoke with him anyway." For once, it wasn't an order. It was a request. Emma gave an obliging smile and started the car towards the docks.

"Okay."

The ride over was peaceful, with Emma munching her apple and Regina sipping her coffee. It was the first time in a long time they had actually spent time together in companionable silence, and Emma loved every second of it. She had to actually stifle a sigh when they arrived and Regina stepped out. Following the brunette- and admiring the view from behind, admittedly- they headed up the ramp onto the Jolly Roger. Grayson's bike had been parked in its usual place so they assumed they'd find their two bearded bad-boys on the deck. The only one present was Hook, however, sitting on a crate with his legs propped up and a bottle of rum in his hands.

Emma stiffened and fell behind a step, averting her eyes and looking less than comfortable. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by Regina, who had mixed feelings of smugness and sympathy. Knowing better than to razz the blonde, the brunette simply crossed her arms and gave Hook an appraising look.

"Ten in the morning? Impressive restraint." Hey, she had to direct her sass at _someone._

"Go away, Regina," he grumbled, taking a long pull of his rum.

"We're here for Grayson."

"Try asking someone who cares."

Again, he took another swig. Emma looked vaguely annoyed but said nothing.

"Well in that case, I'll just poke around your ship myself then."

"Be my guest." He waved them away, refusing to look at Emma at all, and returned to his drinking. Regina actually looked momentarily surprised before understanding crossed her features. Were he in a proper state, he would never have let them roam his precious ship on their own accord, so she accepted the advantage and quickly went to work, heading for the entrance into the ship's interior.

Emma walked closer to Regina as they made their way down into the ship, practically radiating nervous energy.

"Calm down, Emma. He's not drinking because of you."

Emma startled at the sound of her first name, her lip twitching into an uncertain smile, then, "How do you know? He was pretty upset when I broke up with him."

Regina had to suppress a laugh. "He must have had a run in with one of the demons. I can feel traces of a curse on him."

They stepped out onto the landing of the lower deck and began peeking into different rooms and areas. "Oh. Didn't you notice a curse on me? Back when- you know."

"Then? Not really. I thought it was residue from when one of them knocked into you. But I can definitely sense it now. Their influence is getting stronger."

"I bet. They've probably infected half the town by now. We need to figure out how to get rid of them, and fast. Leroy said he's already had to break up three fights at the Diner."

Regina nodded, peering into the last room and then sighing audibly. "He's not here, unless he's hiding in some hidden compartment of the ship for whatever reason."

"We can wait for him on the docks, he probably went out for breakfast."

Immediately, Emma thought of the benches where she usually sat. She'd seen Regina there before in the past too, and on a couple occasions they had both sat there to talk. Now they automatically headed for their bench, ignoring Hook's presence on the way out.

Without thinking, Emma dropped down close to the middle of the bench with a huff. She was about to apologize and slide over, but Regina just sat down next to her, close enough that they could feel each other's body heat, their jackets brushing together. The mayor crossed one leg over the other and rested her clasped hands atop her knee. The Sheriff stretched out her legs.

"So… any ideas on how to kill those things?" Emma wanted to fill the silence with something, and she had to make an effort not to talk about the whole True Love thing.

"I admit, I'm not sure," the brunette admitted. "I have a hunch, but it will require some research in my crypt. There's the possibility of sending them through a portal…"

Emma snorted and laughed. "Let's keep that as a last resort. Nothing good ever happens when we open portals around here."

Regina smiled. "Fair enough. Other than that… perhaps we can try our combined magic against them. We're powerful together, after all."

Emma quirked an eyebrow and Regina felt herself blushing ever so slightly, her cheeks warming. The blonde wanted to joke about them "making magic together," but pressed her lips together and ended up saying nothing at all. Their relationship- could she call it a relationship yet? - felt so fragile and delicate that she was afraid of screwing it up.

"No inappropriate remarks, Miss Swan?"

Emma glanced over to find Regina smirking at her, a devilish glint in her brown eyes. Was that a challenge?

"None that I dare say out loud," she said with a weak chuckle.

"Oh? The one time I actually want the Savior to speak her mind, and she's finally learnt restraint. You have terrible timing."

Emma gave a more genuine laugh, her shoulder bumping against Regina's. "I just don't want to say something stupid and screw things up, that's all. I mean back then, it didn't really matter since, you know... I kind of liked annoying you, actually. You got so mad, but at least you were paying attention to me. Guess that makes me a child. But, well, _now_ -"

She abruptly stopped her rambling and grimaced, feeling dumb. When she looked back, Regina was gazing out at the water, her expression soft and curious.

"Sorry, I'm saying stupid things again."

"No." Regina smiled and ducked her head, long eyelashes gracing her cheeks. "That wasn't stupid at all."

Emma glanced down, resisting the powerful urge to put her hand atop Regina's. She was seriously deliberating it and wondering if those hands were as soft as they looked, but the sudden chime of her phone had her scrambling for the device instead. Shoving it against her ear, she focused her eyes on the tip of her boots. "Sheriff."

"Emma! Where are you?" August's voice was alarmingly loud and Emma winced away from the phone.

"At the docks with Regina. Why? What's wrong?"

"Get to the clock tower! There's a wolf-" the call disconnected. Emma stared at the screen for a second, shocked.

"Grayson," Regina said, having heard August thanks to his shouting. Emma nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

A purple cloud deposited Emma and Regina in the middle of the road on the main street. Regina had said it was faster than driving and Emma relented, though she still stumbled as soon as Regina released her arm, momentarily disoriented.

"Where is-?" she mumbled, glancing around. The question was unnecessary. People were fleeing in opposite directions, running into buildings and slamming the doors shut. August just about collided with her from behind, grabbing her up by her shoulders and making Regina bristle ever so slightly.

"There's a big wolf, Emma, and it's not Ruby!"

"We figured," she said, letting the man throttle her. "What happened?"

"It's cornered some kids- come on!"

He bolted off and the two women followed him towards the library and clock tower, turning the corner of the building to find the screaming Bacon brothers atop a giant dumpster and a large grey wolf jumping at them from the ground. Emma instinctively pulled her gun with a shout of alarm.

"Wait," Regina said, touching her arm. "He's been cursed too."

"But how can we stop him without killing him?"

"Let's focus on getting the children out of there first, then we'll deal with him. You don't need your gun, Emma."

"Oh." Emma holstered it, and it was her turn to blush. Together, they strode forward, hands raised, Emma's glowing a white-gold while Regina's glowed red. "Hey, Grayson!"

The wolf's head swung around and he bared a mouthful of sharp, jagged teeth at them. In tandem, the women made a wide pushing gesture and the wolf was thrown backwards by a blast of light, rolling down the alley before coming to a stop.

"Come on!" August shouted, hurrying to the dumpster and reaching for the boys. They scrambled down and August rushed them away as fast as they could go. The wolf leapt to his feet, snarling at the sight of the three little pigs escaping. Saliva dripped from his gaping jaws.

"Wonder which demon got to him?" Emma muttered, grimacing.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Ruby's sharp voice came at them from behind.

Emma jumped slightly as the young woman pushed past them, an unbecoming sneer on her features. Regina couldn't help it- she was smirking with amusement. Angry Ruby was so much more entertaining.

"Grayson! _What the actual fuck?!"_

"Whoa, Ruby," Emma said, never having heard the young woman curse before. Ruby ignored her and kept on yelling at Grayson, as if she were actually having a conversation with the beast.

"Turn back, right now!"

The wolf snorted in indignation and snarled low in his throat.

"You asked for it! Emma, hold my shit!"

Before they had much of a chance to react, Ruby had thrown her jacket and purse at Emma's face and morphed right then and there. Regina watched in curious fascination as Emma grunted and struggled to catch the objects.

"Rubes!" Emma shoved the jacket and purse under her arm in time to see Ruby's wolf form lunge at Grayson, slamming together in a clash of teeth and claws and snarling. It took mere seconds for blood to spatter the pavement beneath them.

Emma winced. "What do we do?"

"Enjoy the show?" came the amused reply.

"Regina."

"Oh fine." Regina flicked her wrist and a shroud of magic enveloped the tousling animals. In another moment, it was Ruby and Grayson struggling with each other, both scratched up and bleeding but not in any serious danger. Grayson had somehow ended up on his back and Ruby took advantage of the situation, swinging her fist and punching him right in the face.

Emma grabbed Ruby from behind and hauled her up before she could cause any more damage, holding her in a full nelson as she flailed. "Stop, Ruby!"

" _God's sake,"_ muttered Grayson, clutching at his face as blood streamed from his nose. "Let my pigs escape and then break my fuckin' nose. Assholes."

Regina crossed her arms and towered over him. "Down. Stay."

August chose that moment to return, looking bewildered and a little out of breath.

"Pinocchio returns," Emma snorted.

"I had three hysterical kids to deal with, thanks."

"Help me get them to the station for now. They're safer behind bars."

With his assistance, they dragged their two werewolves down the street and up to the Sheriff's station, putting Ruby and Grayson into separate cells each, the former swearing like a sailor and the latter grumbling about not having eaten the three little pigs while he'd had the chance.

"Thank _god_ we're not together anymore," Ruby spat, gripping the bars and rattling at them. "I _knew_ you were still hung up about the pigs escaping! _Over it_ my ass, you lying child murderer!"

"Oh that's just precious, coming from the bitch who _ate her boyfriend!_ Really dodged an arrow there, didn't I?"

"Dear god, stop talking, the both of you." Emma spared a sour glance at Grayson before turning to August. "Stay here and keep an eye on them. And _don't_ let them out."

August gave her a look like _'why in the hell would I do that?'_ but simply nodded and promised to stand guard while they were away.

* * *

Outside the station, Emma frowned and crossed her arms, staring down the street with a focused look on her face.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Regina asked, lifting a brow.

"Yeah. All the curses. They're affecting more and more people. But how?"

"I assume they no longer need to physically touch a person to affect them anymore, since there aren't any shadows flying around knocking into everyone."

"Then we're running out of time," said Emma, her voice tense with concern. "Regina, we need to start killing these things fast, before we turn on each other."

"We won't."

The Sheriff gave the mayor a skeptical look.

"How are you so sure? We did before."

"Well, we can just break the spell with another kiss if it comes down to it."

Emma was pretty sure it wouldn't be that simple the next time, but instead said, "Maybe I should kiss you right now. Just in case one of us is already affected."

"Just to be safe," Regina agreed.

She leaned forward ever so slightly and let the blonde lean the rest of the way, their lips pressing together in a soft kiss. Neither made a comment when their kiss didn't break their non-existent curses.

"Well then. Back to work?" Emma suggested, keeping her tone casual despite the slight hitch in her voice, motioning vaguely down the street. Regina glanced past her.

"Hm. Gold's shop. The demons might be drawn to his magical artifacts. Good idea, Miss Swan."

A compliment. It was hard for the Sheriff not to grin like an idiot. "Why thank you, Madam Mayor." Emma offered her arm and flashed a crooked smile. "Shall we?"

Rolling her eyes some, Regina looped her arm through Emma's and allowed the blonde to lead.


	7. Nothing to Envy, Everything to Fear

_Emma and Regina find their secret weapon within Mr. Gold's shop, and Regina realizes what she fears most and envies most about the Savior._

* * *

The bell above the door chimed softly as they entered the antique shop, taking slow and careful steps as if afraid to stir the air too quickly. They'd expected dust to have started settling on things, but it seemed Belle was still dutifully cleaning the store despite its owner's absence. Emma couldn't help but feel bad for the other woman. She'd banished her husband across the town line yet still took care of his shop.

"Belle?" she called out, her voice hesitant. It was so quiet that the sudden thumping sound from the back room was heard like a thunderclap. Emma jumped before hurrying for the door into the backroom, only to get knocked back as a mass of shadows burst from within.

"Emma!" Regina instinctively threw a fireball into the mass of darkness, watching it expand with an angry shriek. In another moment it was gone, smashing through one of the small windows and disappearing outside. Regina hurried over to where Emma had been thrown backwards behind one of the counters.

"Seriously," Emma grunted, picking herself up with a groan. "Getting real tired of falling on my ass right about now."

"I'm amazed by the durability of your tailbone," said Regina. Emma hesitated, squinted at her, then headed for the back room. They found Belle sprawled out on the carpet, face down.

"Belle!" Emma dropped to her knees, grasping Belle's hand and giving it a shake, knowing better than to try and move the young woman. With a disoriented groan, her friend came to.

"Wha… Emma?" Belle rolled onto her back and stared up at them, her doe eyes wide and startled. Emma sat back with her hands up.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"I… I uh…" Belle's gaze wandered around the store, taking stock of where she was, then looked over Emma and Regina again, confused as to where they had come from and what had happened. Gingerly, she sat up. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Emma helped the librarian up to her feet and onto the cot at one side of the room, sitting next to her as Regina began looking around with a clinical eye.

"I'm not sure…" Belle rubbed her face, still struggling to clear her head. "I was just reading a book back here, and I thought I heard something… then…" She lifted her head to find her book lying on the floor just across the room, its pages bent. "I- I don't really remember. I don't even know how I ended up on the floor."

"Do you feel any… different? Strange? Angry maybe?"

Belle gave her a puzzled look. "Why would I feel angry?"

"Long story."

"Em-ma," Regina said from across the room, making a distracted 'come over here' gesture with her hand while she examined an object on the shelf. Emma's mouth dropped before she stuttered and scurried over, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Look familiar?" Regina asked, pointing at the object, utterly oblivious to the fact that her inflection of Emma's name was immensely arousing to the blonde. Emma grimaced and forced herself to focus, staring down at a familiar box indeed. The very same Pandora's box that they'd once used to trap Peter Pan. This time, however, she actually recognized one of the many symbols carved into the box.

"That symbol-"

"Like the one in the music box, yes."

"And these are all intact." Emma lifted a hand to gently brush her fingers over the box's wood-and-metal surface, feeling the grooves where the symbols were etched. All but one were a mystery to her. When her fingers came away, she found black char on them. "Did they try to destroy this?"

"It makes sense. If this particular symbol can trap them in a box, then…" Regina lifted the little relic from the shelf and held it firmly in her hands, a smile stretching across her lips like a slash of crimson red. "It looks like we've found our weapon."

"I hope you know how to use it," said Belle, standing and backing up towards them, "Because I think it's come back to finish the job."

The three women squared up as a shadow filled the doorway, thickening until it was a solid mass of black. Slowly, it eased into the room with an eery grace, as if sizing them up. Though it didn't have eyes, they could certainly feel as if they were being stared down.

Gripping the box hard in one hand, Regina waved her free hand over it, uncertain of what she was doing and hoping to hell that it worked.

For a moment nothing happened, and then Emma's hand was on her forearm, their powers melding together and warming them from the inside out. Power coursed through their veins- not a wild, intoxicating power like that of Dark magic, but one that was warm and reassuring, calming her nerves and soothing her emotions until the only thing she could feel was a rush of love. Regina glanced sideways to meet Emma's green eyes with her own brown ones, a small smile passing between them, and then she turned her gaze on the demon with a teeth-baring smile.

"You want this box? Come get it!"

As if enraged by her taunt, the demon lunged forward at the same time power surged through Emma into Regina, opening Pandora's box with a _click._ A vortex exploded from the box and collided with the demon, dragging it down into entrapment. Furious, the demon screamed, a sound like nails slashing across a chalkboard. Belle winced and covered her ears as wind whipped through the back storage room, dying down with the vortex until it disappeared completely, the box sealing shut with another _snap._

"It worked," Emma said, breathless, her mouth ajar with surprise. She was still gripping Regina's arm as the brunette panted in exhileration, her entire body tingling with the remnants of their combined magic. "Regina, it worked."

"Yes it did." Regina blinked, lightheaded, feeling the aftershocks of magic sizzling through her veins and warming her from within. The sudden silence of the room was too loud, punctuated only by her sharp intakes of air as she remembered how to breath normally, chest rising and falling with each attempt at oxygen. Her heart beat so loudly that she could hear it in her ears, and the next thing she knew, she'd grabbed Emma around the neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss, crushing their lips together.

Emma tensed only momentarily before relaxing and wrapping her arms around the brunette, eyes fluttering shut as a tongue pushed its way into her mouth. She could feel Regina's fingers fisting her hair so tightly that her knuckles must have surely turned white, and in kind, Emma dug her hands into Regina's back, pulling them flush together and earning a pleased hum from the brunette. The softest of moans escaped her when Regina bit down on her lower lip.

"Uh… Emma?" Belle's voice dragged her back to her senses, but just barely. Emma turned her head away to break the kiss, blinking dazedly at Belle as Regina dropped her head against the blonde's neck to hide her face and possibly salvage her pride. She was still breathing hard and trembling ever so slightly in her arms, so Emma held her close and gave Belle her most embarrassed, apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Belle. Mind giving us a minute?"

Belle arched an eyebrow at them, clearly perturbed by the turn of events, but turned on her heels and left the back room.

Resisting the urge to laugh, Emma instead rubbed soothing circles against Regina's back, loving the way their bodies seemed to fit so perfectly together. She could feel the other woman's warm breath on her neck, those slender fingers clutching softly at the fabric of Emma's shirt.

"Regina?" she murmured against the brunette's hair, inhaling deeply of what smelled like apple scented shampoo.

"Sorry," Regina mumbled against her collarbone, ducking her face a little lower, her cheeks feeling hot against the blonde's skin. "I don't know what came over me."

"Like you said, we make powerful magic together," Emma chuckled, then yelped as Regina pinched her waist. When the mayor finally pulled away, she looked calm and collected again, with the slightest furrow in her brow. She held Pandora's Box in one hand and busied herself with examining it, though it was clear from the flushed look on her face that she was purposefully distracting herself.

"Well, now we have a way to capture all the demons. Let's get to work, shall we?"

"Someone's focused," Emma murmured, eyelids drooping with her come-hither smile. Regina gave an overly forced eye roll and hurried out the door. Emma had to speed walk to keep up, bidding Belle a quick goodbye as they exited the shop. Outside, the main streets of Storybrooke were relatively quiet as usual, though they could hear loud arguing and bickering as they walked towards Granny's.

"I wonder which demon we trapped?" Emma said as they passed the Diner and kept on going. Regina made a sound of acknowledgement, though she didn't seem to have any input on that matter. Emma's phone chimed at that point and she pulled it from her pocket, answering on the second ring. "Sheriff."

"Hey, I think the wolf guy isn't under a curse anymore. Can I let him out?"

"Uh, no, August. How do you know he isn't just pretending?"

"Well, he's being all nice and reasonable now. We're actually kinda getting along."

It was Emma's turn to roll her eyes. Men with leather jackets and motorcycles. This was becoming a thing in Storybrooke, apparently. "Hold on, we're coming."

"Something happen at the station?" Regina asked, her tone callous.

"Yup. Says Grayson's himself again. I told him we were on our way."

Regina made another vague sound of acknowledgement, slowing down and letting Emma lead the way towards the sheriff's station. Emma took the stairs two at a time and put on her best nonchalant face as she approached the cells. August was seated at one of the desks, twiddling his thumbs, and jumped up when she entered the bullpen.

"Emma."

"August," she murmured in response, arching a brow at him before moving to the cell nearest the windows. Grayson was sitting on the cot, looking weary as Ruby glared at him from her cell.

"So I hear you're cured," the blonde said, sarcastic. Grayson frowned.

"I'm not craving pig anymore, if that's what you mean. What the heck is going on? What's wrong with Red?"

"Fuck you," Ruby snarled.

"Easy, Rubes," said Emma. "It's _really_ weird hearing you swear."

"Yeah well, fuck you too."

Emma sighed, settling her hands on her hips and directing her attention back to Grayson. "There were demons in that box. Looks like they're making everyone lash out in different ways."

"The seven deadly sins," Regina said finally, her arms crossed as she leaned against a desk between the Sheriff and August. "That would explain the symptoms. Gluttony."

Her eyes passed over Grayson, then towards the window, thinking of the motionless Hook laid out on a crate on his ship, drinking and refusing to budge. "Sloth."

After a pause, her gaze dropped. "Pride," came the somewhat ashamed self-diagnosis. Then, glancing up at Emma, her brown eyes darkened. "Lust."

Emma blushed immediately, turning her face away so that August wouldn't notice the tinge of pink. Distracted, she jerked a thumb back at Ruby. "What about her?"

"I'm right here, asshole," snapped Ruby.

Regina grunted. "I'm not sure what the hell is wrong with her. Wrath maybe. What I do know is that we caught the demon of Gluttony, if Grayson is really back to himself."

"That I am," Grayson agreed, leaning forward on the cot with his elbows on his knees. "I should probably stay locked in here though, in case I get affected by anything else. Red and I are dangerous."

Emma was surprised at his show of responsibility and nodded, ignoring Ruby's sneers of disdain. "That's fine. August, stay with them."

August frowned, a line of concern creasing his eyebrows. "You two going after the rest of the demons?"

"That's the idea. Text me if anything changes here."

"You sure you don't want back up?" He offered, gravitating towards her as if he really didn't want to be left behind to babysit. He didn't seem to notice the glower he was receiving from the mayor. Ever since being returned to his adult form thanks to Blue, he'd been assisting Emma as something of a part time deputy, keeping himself occupied when he wasn't helping out his father. He wasn't exactly qualified but Emma didn't mind his company once in a while, and it never hurt to have an extra person patrolling the town. Today, however, Emma gave a firm shake of her head.

"I'll be fine. I've got Regina with me."

At that, he side-eyed the mayor, his eyes twitching ever so slightly in response to the warning glare the woman was piercing him with. "Right. Careful out there, Sheriff."

* * *

"You okay, Regina?"

Emma trotted after the quick-paced brunette, noting that for once, Regina wasn't wearing her four inch stilettos. In her heeled leather boots, Emma was actually a good deal taller than her, and that was an odd feeling now that she really paid attention to it. Reaching down, she grabbed Regina's hand in hers. The brunette quickly jerked her hand away.

"Not in public, Miss Swan," she snapped. "What if Henry sees us?"

Emma held her hands up in surrender, feeling an unhappy tug in her heart at being demoted to _Miss Swan_ again. "Sorry. Should I kiss you again?"

At that, Regina slowly turned to face her, her jaw working back and forth with annoyance. "Did I not _just_ say-"

"Not in public, right, sorry," came the awkward reply. "I just thought-"

"I am _not_ suffering from one of the demons' influence. I'm perfectly capable of being upset without their assistance." She turned and kept walking. Emma followed.

"Okay, so… what did I do?"

"Not everything is about you, dear," Regina sneered.

"Well what can I do to _help_?"

"Your _job._ " Regina waved Pandora's Box in front of Emma's face. "Which, at the moment, is helping me catch demons."

Feeling like a scolded puppy, Emma fell silent and just followed the older woman, trusting that she knew where she was going. To her surprise, they ended up walking all the way to toll bridge. It hadn't even taken them very long, what with Regina's brisk and unrelenting pace.

"Here?" Emma asked, baffled.

"I followed a trace of dark magic to this spot, yes. Here." She all but shoved Pandora's box into Emma's hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Well clearly you're the more powerful one, so you should be able to trap the demon yourself."

"But our powers _combined_ last time to open the box."

"I was simply channeling your magic," Regina lied. Emma could practically _see_ her walls going up and immediately worried that Regina was going to push her out again, the way she always did when she was afraid or when she felt like she was losing control.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"You're shutting me out."

"I am not."

"I know that this- us- is scary-"

"I'm not _scared,"_ Regina hissed, her eyes nearly black despite the late afternoon sun. Emma persisted, stepping closer into the brunette's personal space. Regina, in turn, refused to back down and stiffened her spine, though she was still inches shorter than the Sheriff and had to tilt her head up to match her glare.

"Then prove it." Pandora's box was held out as an offering. Regina curled her lip at it.

"Don't be a child, Miss Swan."

"Don't _Miss Swan_ me!"

"That _is_ your name."

"We've been through too much for that! We shared True Love's kiss, for god's sake!"

"Do _not_ use that against me!" Regina shouted, loud enough to make Emma cringe. She was absolutely livid, her face red with anger and shame and something else entirely, but it was the flash of pain and fear and insecurity in those dark eyes that stopped Emma from shouting back. It was all too familiar, painfully so, and for a moment those eyes reflected Emma's soul right back at her, making her feel naked and vulnerable in ways she'd hoped never to feel again.

"Regina," she croaked out, her throat suddenly dry and tight, but Regina whipped around without a word and stormed a few steps away, her spine rigid and her shoulders trembling. Emma stared at her back for a long moment, awash with guilt.

She'd pushed her too far. She'd crossed the line. Emma stood rooted to the spot, helpless and afraid that she'd destroyed their chance. That she'd ruined Regina's trust in her for the last time.

"I'm sorry," came the whispered apology.

But there was no reply. Regina's shoulders shook harder and it was then that Emma realized she was crying. Regina Mills was crying.

"Regina," she rasped, reaching out, aching at the thought of having made her cry. Her hand touched the brunette's shoulder, only for the woman to jerk away.

"Don't touch me," she snarled, but she did not turn, keeping her face turned away from the blonde. Emma retracted her hand, her chest tight and her lips pursed, but said nothing more. Part of her wanted to pull the woman into her arms, the other part feared the repercussions and wondered if she should simply wait. The decision was taken away from her when an icy chill settled on her shoulders, far too cold for September, even in Maine.

Turning her head, Emma scanned the surrounding area for signs of a demon, Pandora's box clutched hard in her hands. She had even less of a clue on how to use it, but thought better of trying to give it back to Regina at this point. The brunette, to her credit, had immediately swiped a hand across her eyes and summoned a fireball in her hands, prepared for a fight.

"There," Emma said, jumping ever so slightly at the sight of the shadowy black creature as it slunk out onto the bridge, pooling over the stone walkway like a formless glob. She focused on the box in her hands, gathering up her magic and trying to direct it, but as she'd feared, nothing happened. Nervously she waved a hand over the lid like she'd once seen Rumplestiltskin do, but still nothing. "Regina- I can't-"

"Try harder," the woman snapped, hurling a fireball at the demon and watching it glide aside with graceful ease. They both sucked in a breath of fear as the creature suddenly lurched forward, closing the large gap in all of a second, and sent them both sailing backwards through the air.

As Emma hit the ground on the other side of the bridge and crumpled in on herself, she decided that monsters practically sprinting at you with alarming speeds is one of the more terrifying things in life. She had to shake off a full-body shudder as she struggled into an upright sitting position, wincing.

Regina had landed only a yard away and was a little slower to sit up, less physically-inclined than her blonde counterpart. The backs of her shoulders throbbed from having landed on them first and she felt an uncomfortable pop as she straightened out her spine.

"Regina?" Emma called, concern colouring her voice as she struggled to her feet.

"Use the box," came the haughty reply. Regina was now very glad she hadn't worn high heels today as she dug her heels into the dirt and stood, her body aching.

"I can't," came Emma's nervous retort.

"Is that fear I hear in the Savior's voice?"

Emma glanced sharply at Regina, exasperated that she was being sarcastic _now_ of all times. She apparently wasn't the only one with bad timing. "Really?"

" _Use the damn box,_ oh powerful Savior." Regina's lips were twisted into a sneer but she didn't meet Emma's gaze, instead focusing on the demon.

Slowly gliding towards them, the demon looked more solid than before, smokey black tendrils creeping across the dirt and grass as it moved. A mist of cold air seemed to follow in its wake, driving back what mild warmth there was and leeching it from their bodies. Emma shivered and once again tried to direct her magic, feeling it course through her arms and into the box, but the box only seemed to absorb her magic without a reaction. A sense of hopeless panic welled up in her chest and she dashed across the short distance, nearly barreling into Regina as she grasped the other woman hard by the forearm and held out the box.

She could hear Regina's growl of frustration shortly before the lid of Pandora's box clicked open again, unleashing the vortex in another gust of cutting winds. Their combined magic worked to warm their bodies once more, thrumming across their skin and through their veins like sparks of electricity. Regina visibly flinched, trying and failing to pull away from the Sheriff's strong grip. The vortex slammed into the demon and ripped it off the ground like an uprooted tree, spinning wildly before getting dragged into the depths of the magical box with an echoing screech. Emma cringed as the lid snapped shut with a jerk in her hand.

"Let go," Regina ordered, her voice louder than it needed to be, finally yanking herself free and stumbling back a few steps. Emma stared at her like she'd lost her damn mind. She very well might have; there was an almost manic hitch in Regina's tone.

"Please," Emma begged, approaching slowly with her hands out as if she were approaching a wounded animal. She didn't know what else to say - didn't know what she'd done wrong or what was upsetting the brunette before she'd made her stupid comment earlier - and so simply repeated herself like a broken record. "Please."

Regina shook her head, slowly at first, then faster and vehemently. There had been a myriad of emotions struggling within her since all this demon chaos started but now it was the anger and disbelief that rose up above all else, no thanks to that moment in Gold's shop.

Their powers combined had been like nothing she'd ever experienced, and it might have even been enjoyable if not for the fact that she'd lost all semblance of self control in that moment afterwards. That she'd thrown herself at Emma without shame, thrown caution to the wind, acted on a whim. It was entirely _not_ Regina Mills. Not the woman who calculated everything before acting, and certainly not the woman who valued full control over all else. She'd lost control, and that terrified her. Losing control meant giving it up to someone else - and that meant _trusting_ , something she had not done ever since sharing a secret with a ten year old Snow White. That memory in itself brought up only the ugliest of feelings she didn't want to remember. Betrayal. Death. Heartbreak.

And now here Emma Swan stood, looking glorious despite her wild hair and dirt-scuffed jacket, Pandora's box clutched in one hand after having caught their second demon - barely. Her magic was so powerful that she should have been able to do it herself. She didn't need Regina's help. She was the goddamned _Savior_ , for crying out loud. Such power, wasted on her, yet she still won every battle and came out looking like the hero with a title she didn't even have the guts to own up to.

It frustrated Regina. It _infuriated_ her.

" _No,"_ she hissed, inwardly pleased when Emma winced like she'd been struck. "You don't get to steal my magic and then beg me for forgiveness. You don't get to force me into something without my permission."

Her features turned cold and hard, and bright white stood out against blood red lips as she bared her teeth in a vicious snarl. "And don't you _ever_ dare push that True Love bullshit onto me _ever again._ "

Without waiting for Emma's response, she turned on her heels and stormed away, heading back for the bridge.

Emma gripped Pandora's box until her knuckles turned white, her heart clenching painfully with each step Regina took, farther and farther away. A million thoughts raced through her mind but not a single one could form into words, always caught at the back of her throat, never vocalized. It was only after Regina was too far away to hear that Emma could make a sound.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

Then she swiped her hand across her damp eyes and followed after the brunette.


	8. Greedy for Love

_Mary Margaret has a much needed conversation with her daughter. Emma sits under the apple tree in Regina's yard until the mayor agrees to talk._

* * *

"What happened out there, Ma?"

Henry pinned his blonde mother with a perceptive stare after Regina had left. She'd barely stayed long enough to say hello, simply pulling him into a tight hug for longer than was normal before turning and striding out, not even sparing David or Mary Margaret a glance.

"Not now, kid. Please?" Emma groaned, dropping her forehead onto the kitchen island as she waited for the coffee to drip. David gave her shoulder a sympathetic pat as he passed her, in the midst of making dinner while Mary Margaret tended to the baby. Henry, however, insistently nudged at her hip.

"She looked really upset. What did you do, Emma?"

"Ugh," Emma grunted, lifting her forehead from the counter and giving him the stink eye. "I see how it is. Throw around the title of 'Ma' and 'Mom' when it suits you, huh?"

At that, her son couldn't help but smirk. He definitely had Regina's cunning. "Emma," he said again, in that tone of voice that Regina used whenever she was in a scolding mood.

"Alright, jeeze. I may have said something stupid to upset her… But I'll fix it, I promise."

"Well what did you say?"

"I, uh…" Emma shot her father a helpless look.

"Henry, sometimes it's best to just let two people figure out their problems on their own, you know? Emma and Regina are… good friends. They'll be fine. Have faith in your mothers." Prince Charming to the rescue - except for that hesitation about the _good friends_ bit. Emma squinted at her father and he just smiled guilelessly at her.

"Fine," Henry grouched, kicking his legs as he sat slouched on the high stool. "Can I go play video games?"

"Go for it," said David, grabbing more items from the fridge.

Henry slunk away to the TV as Emma finally poured herself a mug of fresh coffee. She wandered closer to her father, turning away from Henry's direction and lowering her voice.

"So… Something on your mind, dad?"

"Hm? No. Nope." He flashed her another smile and kept cooking.

"Really? No interesting ideas?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He grinned, blinding her with his pearly whites. "Why don't you check on your mother and Neal? Dinner will be ready in a half hour."

Emma gave her father another suspicious squint before heading into the bedroom. Mary Margaret had retreated there earlier after Regina's departure and she now found the short-haired brunette lying on the bed with Neal resting on her chest, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Hey mom."

Emma sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, holding out her arms for her baby brother. Mary Margaret passed him over and sat up with a frown.

"So what happened between you and Regina?"

"We got into an argument." Emma shrugged her shoulders, nestling little Neal into the crook of her arm and giving his tummy a rub. "The demons' influence has everyone acting a little touchy. It's fine. We'll get back to work tomorrow."

"Okay. What _else_ happened between you and Regina?"

Emma froze up.

 _Damn it, they know!_

"W-what do you mean?" she said instead, dumbly.

"Emma Swan," Mary Margaret said, tisking softly. "Do you really think your own mother wouldn't notice when her daughter develops feelings for someone?"

"I… what?" Emma paled, unsure of how to respond except to keep playing stupid. That she didn't immediately snap back about how they'd only been mother and daughter as of three years ago proved she'd grown in many ways and had at least come to terms with it. It still didn't make it any less uncomfortable that this woman - who was barely older than she was, fucking frozen time curses - was talking to her the way mothers spoke to their daughters about dating and boys and all that crap that she'd long ago accepted that she would never hear.

"Oh, don't give me that," said Mary Margaret, scowling in a way that looked more cute and amusing than serious. "You and Regina have always had a certain… 'spark' between you two. I never imagined it would _become_ anything because of how things were back then, but now that you're actually getting along…"

"No offense, Mary Margaret, but this really isn't a conversation I want to have with you."

"Now who's the one throwing around the title of 'Mom' when it suites you?" Mary Margaret arched an eyebrow at her.

"You heard that?" Emma mumbled. Her mother hummed in the affirmative. "Ugh. Sorry. It's just… weird. I grew up without anyone to have these talks with, so I just… It's uncomfortable, you know? I don't know what to say."

She nuzzled her face against Neal's head of soft hair, partially to hide herself from her mother's careful stare. He seemed to be okay with this and busied himself playing with the collar of her shirt.

"We're just talking, Emma," Mary Margaret said, her voice patient and soothing. "I just want to know how you're doing. How you're dealing with all this. Regina can be… difficult. But she's come a long way, and I never stopped loving her despite everything that's happened between us. I care about the both of you and I want you both to be happy. If you make each other happy…"

"Awkward," Emma managed, looking very pink in the cheeks.

"Oh, stop thinking so hard about my being your mother right now. Just talk to me like I'm your roommate Mary Margaret."

Emma gave her mother a strange look.

"Come on," Mary Margaret encouraged, crossing her legs beneath her and scooting her butt a little closer as if they were teenagers sharing gossip. "Gimme the scoop. Spill the beans."

"Even worse," said Emma, making a face and gently placing Neal back into his mother's arms. "I'll talk, just stop with… whatever this is."

"Fine," the brunette pouted.

"We shared True Love's kiss." Her mother gasped. "Twice." Another gasp.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret nearly squealed, her face alight with joy for her daughter. "That's wonderful! There's no better confirmation than sharing True Love's kiss!"

"Except for the fact that I screwed up. Royally."

"What? How?"

Emma grudgingly recounted the past few days, including the way Regina acted after they'd combined their magic and her big blowout at the bridge.

"I know I shouldn't have used the whole 'True Love' thing, but I wasn't thinking straight."

Mary Margaret gave her a "Duh, obviously" look, but Neal was starting to fuss so she reclined back against the pillows and held him aloft, making little kissing sounds at him.

After a moment of silence, Emma said, "So what do I do?"

"What do you _want_ to do?"

 _I want to-_

But her thoughts led to somewhere entirely inappropriate - apparently Emma Swan had a fantasy about angry make-up sex despite never actually having had sex with Regina before - so she shook the image from her head and said, "I have no idea. Apologies aren't going to cut it."

"Apologies always help," Mary Margaret said, slowly. "But those take time. Saying it right after the fact won't do anything when she's still hurting. You have to show her that you really want to earn her forgiveness - that you _deserve_ her forgiveness."

"I don't think I do," Emma whispered, more to herself than to her mother. But her mother heard her all the same.

"Emma." When Emma finally met her eyes, she continued, "Do you care about Regina?"

"Yes."

"Do you love her?"

Even without True Love's kiss as proof, Emma knew the answer to that in her heart. "Yes."

"Then figure it out."

Emma started. That hadn't been the advice she'd expected to hear, certainly not from Mary Margaret Blanchard of all people. But she had yet to truly understand that her mother was more Snow White than Mary Margaret after regaining her memories, and she knew exactly what her daughter needed to hear even if they hadn't been a family for very long.

Besides, Snow White believed in a bit of tough love.

"Oh." Emma blinked, once, twice. Then her features settled, and she knew what she needed to do. "Thanks, mom."

Mary Margaret smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Any time."

* * *

The evening air was cool and she was glad she'd brought her red leather jacket.

Emma sat back against the tree, her legs stretched out and Pandora's box held loosely in her hands. She'd never noticed before, but the grass here was perfectly trimmed, and it really shouldn't have surprised her considering whose backyard she was in.

"What do you want, Miss Swan?"

Emma blinked against the sudden light from the back door, taking in the silhouette of Regina's slender form, clad in her usual fitted slacks and dress shirt with a matching blazer. She had a hand on her hip and she looked ready for a fight, verbal or otherwise.

Emma sucked in a deep breath, calming her racing heartbeat.

"Can we talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Then I'll talk, you listen." When Regina didn't move, she motioned towards the bench near the hedges. "Please, sit."

The moment dragged on for so long that Emma was worried Regina would just slam the door and ignore her for the rest of the night. To her relief, the mayor finally moved out into the backyard, perching herself stiffly on the edge of the bench with a guarded look on her face.

Emma just stared at her for a moment, wishing the other woman didn't feel the need to put up all her walls and close herself off like that. She knew how expressive her face could be and it hurt that all she saw now was a stoic, emotionless frown.

"Talk then," Regina barked. Emma looked down and fiddled nervously with the box.

"I… I want to apologize to you for a lot of things. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness right now but that's not why I'm here. I screwed up. I should never have forced anything on you, not the magic or the expectations, and definitely not the True Love stuff. You wanted space and I disrespected that, all because I-"

Her throat tightened and she took another deep breath, still avoiding Regina's eyes. "I was selfish. I wanted more than you were ready for, all because I finally found something amazing - really amazing - and I was scared to lose it, so I clung to it because that's what orphans do, when they think life has finally given them something good and so they have to cling to it, otherwise if it's lost, it's gone forever, and the thought of losing you forever-"

She halted her rambling with a trembling breath, only just noticing that tears had sprung in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. She didn't move to brush them away, hoping that it was dark enough that Regina wouldn't notice them.

"It's stupid and irrational and I know that, but it doesn't excuse how I acted or what I did, and I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry and I won't do it again. It's not fair to you, and I never wanted to hurt you like that. So I- I'll give you space from now on, I'll learn how to use Pandora's box on my own, and when all this demon stuff is over with, I promise to do this by your terms. If you want to keep Henry with you, I'll only be by to pick him up on the weekends or something-"

"Stop talking, Emma."

She looked up sharply to find that Regina was now kneeling next to her, her expression clouded with a million different emotions that reminded Emma again of how amazingly complex this woman was. After a moment, her expression settled on an unhappy, unsettled look.

"I'm having difficulties concentrating when there is an emotion raging inside me that I know is not my own."

It was as close to an admission as she could get, and to her relief, Emma just nodded once in understanding. Leaning forward, the brunette pressed her lips to the blonde's in a soft kiss, feeling a sudden warmth wash over them and ease the weight of her heart just a little. As she pulled back, she used her thumbs to stroke away the tear streaks on Emma's cheeks. The blonde wasn't as sneaky as she'd like to think she was.

Assured that her emotions were entirely her own now, Regina shifted over to sit against the tree next to Emma, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply as a cool evening breeze drifted over them, surrounding them in the fragrance of her apple trees.

"Which sin was that?" Emma asked softly.

"Envy, I think." When Emma craned her head around to give her a confused look, she explained, "I was _really_ mad at your… lack of experience. Considering how powerful you are, being the Savior and all."

"You were… jealous?"

"If you must put it that way." Regina sighed. "But that wasn't the problem. It was perfectly reasonable that you wanted my help. The problem was our magic, combined…"

Emma shifted beside her. "Back at Gold's shop…"

"Yes. I… I've never experienced magic quite like _that_ before. And the way I reacted, it wasn't…"

"Normal? Familiar? Safe?"

Regina twisted her head around in surprise and Emma laughed, quiet and subdued.

"You didn't like the way you reacted automatically to it."

"No, I didn't," Regina agreed. "I exercise full control over everything in my life, including myself. The things I felt and the way I acted, that was… not me. Not the usual me, anyway. And that was… frightening."

Emma nodded slowly. "I know what you mean. Sad part is that I know exactly how you feel, and yet I hadn't realized it at the time. Of all people, I should have known. I should have understood."

"I don't blame you. I admit, I can be difficult."

Regina blinked in surprise as Emma's hand gently closed around hers, fingers entwining. "Well, some things are worth fighting for," she said simply.

Regina rested her head back against the apple tree and stared out at the quickly darkening sky. They sat like that for a while, just existing, hands clasped together and resting on the grass. Emma's thumb gently stroked the side of Regina's palm, conveying warmth and reassurances and promises without a single word uttered.

Questions danced on the tip of Regina's tongue but she didn't have the courage to ask them, not outright. Eventually she settled for, "How do you know you're fighting for the right thing?"

"Well-"

"And don't say _Fate_ or some crap about fairy dust," Regina warned. "Because we all know how misleading that usually is."

"I wasn't going to." Emma grinned a little and set Pandora's box onto the grass by her thigh so she could settle her free hand against her chest over her heart. "I was thinking something a little more trustworthy."

"Your heart?" came the startled reply.

"Yep. My heart. And the things I feel."

She didn't say those three words. She didn't need to, not yet. Just the promise that they were there, waiting, was all the confirmation Regina needed.


	9. No Wrath Like an Evil Queen Scorned

_The Swan-Mills have a family breakfast. One of the demons take on a more terrifying form, and a Queen entrusts herself to her White Knight._

* * *

Emma sighed, rolling over and nuzzling her face into the pillow, the sheets warm and silken over her bare skin. She took in a deep breath of apple scented linen, which woke her just enough for confusion to muddle her brain.

 _Apples?_

She rolled onto her back and blinked open green eyes, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling and taking a long moment to recollect what had happened and where she was. Then it clicked and she sat up, looking around the pristine guest room with another gusty sigh. Right.

She and Regina had sat under the apple tree for almost an hour, just sitting in amicable silence, both finally agreeing to get up when it was too cold to stay outside. One look at the way Emma had been shivering in her leather jacket prompted Regina to order her to sit down in her office next to the fireplace. A moment later and they were sitting across from each other in big armchairs, sipping at hot cocoa and talking about Henry until they called it a night.

They were always talking about Henry. Both women loved him dearly and there was no doubt that he'd brought them together from the start, the one thing they had most in common. Emma just wished they could talk about something else once in a while.

She wanted to know about Regina.

But that would be pushing.

Emma slid out of bed with yet another sigh, padding across the room in her boy shorts and tank top. She slept in her underwear, no matter whose guest room she was in. Jeans and her red leather jacket were retrieved from where they were slung over a highback chair - really, a chair and a vanity in a guest room? The woman really is a perfectionist - and once dressed she quietly slipped from the room and down the hallway.

Her phone said it was just past eight in the morning. Emma wasn't sure if Regina's Sunday mornings were spent in bed or already off to work; she hoped it was the latter. At least then she wouldn't feel bad about sneaking out before the mayor was even awake. She needed to go home and change, anyway. A shower wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Emma made it down the big spiral staircase and was halfway through the front foyer when Regina's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Not staying for breakfast, Miss Swan?"

It wasn't said with her usual bite or sarcasm (though she could still do without the "Miss Swan" crap.) Just an honest question, with perhaps even a little bit of amusement in it. Emma turned slowly, startled to find Regina standing at the edge of the kitchen wearing a clean white apron over gray slacks and a white silk dress shirt. Her dark hair, longer than it had been when they'd first met, was pulled back in a soft bun. Considering the way the mayor usually looked, this appearance was surprisingly softer and gentler.

"Oh, I… uh…" Emma faltered, mouth ajar at the sight as Regina just tilted her head ever so slightly to one side, inquisitive. She'd been so busy holding her breath while sneaking around that she hadn't noticed the smell wafting from the kitchen. "Oh. Wow. That smells amazing."

"Ma, come eat!" Henry's voice called from the kitchen. Emma jumped.

"I picked him up earlier," Regina offered. "I thought it might be nice to have breakfast together. I know it's been… a while, since we were all together."

Emma nodded dumbly and trailed after the brunette, finding Henry seated at the dining table connected by doorway to the kitchen. He was in the process of balancing fresh fruit into a little mountain atop his waffles. Now that Emma thought about it, the three of them hadn't had breakfast together since Robin and Roland left. Regina had stopped spending time with them altogether and retreated away to be alone - the way she always did.

"Hey kid," she said with a hesitant smile. Henry beamed a thousand watt smile back. Clearly he had forgiven her for her blunder with his dark haired mother.

"Well go on, have a seat," said Regina, pouring fresh mix into the waffle maker. "I'll have more waffles for you shortly."

She didn't have to ask if Emma liked waffles. She'd spied the blonde munching down on them at Granny's Diner more than enough times.

Emma wandered into the dining room and sat across from Henry, leaving the seat at the head of the table between them empty. Her eyes took in the lump that was growing on Henry's plate, some monstrosity made of waffle, fruit, syrup, and whipped cream.

"You really are starting to eat like a teenager," she said, grimacing as he gouged into it with his fork and shoved a giant glob of the stuff into his mouth. He said something but it was entirely unintelligible.

"Henry, don't speak with your mouth full," Regina scolded, but it was said with affection. She came in with a plate of fresh waffles which she set down in front of Emma. "Coffee?" she directed to the blonde.

"That'd be great, thanks."

Regina flashed a quick smile as she headed back to the kitchen. Emma sat dumbfounded for a moment, staring after her.

"Ma? You okay?" Henry queried, arching a brow at her as he paused to sip his orange juice.

"I just…" She pursed her lips. "I've never seen your mom like this."

"Like what?" He looked confused. Of course he wouldn't know; this was normal for him. Regina had been making him breakfast every morning for his entire life.

"Nothing." Emma gave him a lazy grin. "This is nice."

He hummed in agreement, digging into his waffle again as Regina returned with two mugs of coffee. Emma found herself blushing and murmuring her thanks, especially when she noticed that it was made exactly the way she liked it. Regina left one more time to return with a waffle of her own, finally taking her seat at the head of the table, between Emma and Henry.

The Sheriff piled peach slices and strawberries atop her waffle, drowned them in syrup and finishing it off with a glob of whipped cream. It was Henry's turn to snicker at her from across the table. "What?"

"And you said _I_ eat like a teenager. At least I _am_ one. You're like thirteen years too late."

"You have your mother's sass," Emma grumbled. She immediately worried that that might sound like a slight on Regina, but to her relief - and immediate delight - Regina actually laughed. It was a warm, full sound that had a smile spreading across the blonde's face.

Regina's laughter trickled off and she tucked into her breakfast, shaking her head some at the reminder of how young Emma was. Thirty one. Regina was almost forty, and that wasn't including the twenty eight years they had all been frozen in time in Storybrooke. Dear god, she was technically more than twice Emma's age.

She looked up when she realized Emma was still smiling lopsidedly at her. "What?" came the uncertain question.

"You have a nice laugh."

Henry's head turned back and forth between them, an odd look on his face. Emma cleared her throat and started cutting into her waffle again as Regina blinked at her.

"I mean- I don't hear it very often, y'know. It's nice to hear you laugh."

Regina concentrated on her food again as well, dark eyes hidden under thick lashes. "Thank you, dear."

They ate in relative quiet for a while, just appreciating the fact that they were having breakfast together like a family. Henry started chatting about school and about Grace - Emma and Regina shared a look when their son began babbling about a girl, and Jefferson's daughter no less - and dishes were a joint effort between her and Henry while Regina made tea.

"One hour," Regina called after her son, watching Henry disappear up to his room. Emma perched herself on a kitchen island stool, clasping Pandora's box in her hands again and considering what today might entail.

"Are we dropping him off?"

"David and Mary Margaret will be by to pick him up." Regina poured herself some tea and quirked a brow at the blonde. "Would you like to shower before we go?"

Emma flushed at the idea of showering in Regina's house. Normally she had no problem with that kind of thing, she and Neal used to steal showers in strangers' hotel rooms back when they were homeless thieves, but taking a shower in Regina Mills' house felt immensely intimidating in contrast. "That's okay-"

"It's no trouble, and I already left a new toothbrush out on the counter," the brunette added quickly, averting her gaze. Emma felt a flutter in her chest. It was a strange feeling, having Regina take care of her like this.

"Oh. Well, in that case, I'd appreciate it." Emma stood with an almost shy smile. Regina wordlessly led the way, taking them up the staircase and to the main bathroom in the hall. It wasn't as terrifyingly intimate as her bedroom's private bathroom, but it still had Emma shuffling awkwardly inside.

"Here," said Regina, holding out her hand for Pandora's box. Emma carefully gave it over, making sure not to make skin contact just in case they unleashed the damned things right here. She still didn't really understand how it worked and figured Regina wouldn't appreciate a vortex appearing in her house.

"Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, clean towel, hairbrush," Regina listed off, pointing everything out. Then, more softly, "See you in a bit."

"Kay. Thanks." Emma gave another shy smile as Regina left, closing the door quietly behind her. Her heart was pounding and she took a moment to reassess her surroundings. The bathroom had the same decor as Regina's office; black and white with angular furnishings, the only splash of color being the blue tube of toothpaste and a new green toothbrush on the countertop, still in its wrapping.

Emma tore the wrapper off and brushed her teeth before quickly stripping down and rushing through her shower like a bat out of hell. The less time she spent naked in Regina Mills' house, the better. It didn't help that she kept listening for the door as she washed off, half wishing Regina would join her and half terrified that she would. Dear lord, she was as hormonal and confused as a teenager right now.

She was clean and dressed in record time, her jacket slung over her arm while her damp hair hung limp down her back. Socked feet padded down the staircase and into the living room where she found Regina curled up on the couch with a book in hand, reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.

"Hey," said Emma, sinking down into an armchair and grinning at her. Regina arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Hey." Then, after a long pause, "Something on my face?"

"I've just never seen you with glasses."

Self conscious, Regina quickly plucked them from her face and folded them away.

"They looked good," Emma complained.

"Well, I… Thank you. But we should discuss the plan for today." She bookmarked her page and set the book down on the coffee table, glancing up to take in the sight of the blonde's damp hair. "Did you find everything okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Emma reclined back into the armchair with a smile. "I smell like apples now."

"Old habits die hard." Regina then motioned towards Pandora's box where it sat dormant next to her book. "I thought it might be best if I took the lead today- if that's fine with you."

She wanted to feel more in control of the situation, and that was fine with Emma. The blonde honestly had no idea what she was doing with the box and felt a lot better entrusting it to Regina.

"Sounds good to me. Are we tracking them by their energy again today?"

"Unless we have another lead, it seems like our best bet."

Emma's phone rang. She fumbled with her jacket for a moment to dig the phone out from the pocket as Regina leaned back on the couch and waited.

"Sheriff."

"Emma," came David's voice, sounding strangely tense.

"Dad? You okay?"

"Yeah, uh… I think-"

There was a thumping sound. David cursed under his breath. Somewhere in the background, Emma could hear her mother giggling.

"Dad?" she said again, brows furrowing. Regina sent her a curious look.

"I think it might be best if you keep Henry with you today," David grunted. Another thump.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Your mother is under one of the curses."

"Well just give her True Love's kiss, it worked for-"

Regina arched an eyebrow.

"I-It should work for you two."

"Yeah, I'm trying, but your mother is… I'm working on it."

"Which curse is she under?"

"Charming!" Mary Margaret's voice crooned, muffled as if she were on the other side of a door. "Open this door right now, or I'll huff and I'll puff-"

"Uh, dad?"

"Don't worry about it," David said quickly.

"What about Neal?"

"He's fine. Love you, bye!"

He hung up on her. Emma dropped her phone into her lap with a grimace.

"What did he say?" Regina asked.

"Um, looks like we're keeping Henry with us today."

The brunette gave her an odd look. "Why?"

"I think Snow White is molesting Prince Charming."

At that, Regina's brows shot up in surprise. Emma put her face in her hands with a sigh - she couldn't believe she'd just said that - and suddenly Regina was laughing.

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde grumbled, resisting a smile at having once again caused the mayor to laugh. The sound was like music to her ears.

"Who would have thought the Charming women were so susceptible to Lust?"

Emma groaned, looking up to see Regina smirking at her. "Hey, I held it off for as long as I could."

"I'm sure you did." Regina's dark eyes glittered and she suddenly grinned. "So tell me, _Miss Swan,_ what were you dreaming about?"

"What?" Emma sputtered.

"After the demon of Lust knocked you unconscious. What were you dreaming about?"

 _Oh, god damn._ "Nothing."

"Liar."

"I didn't dream!"

"Really? Because your moaning had suggested otherwise."

Emma felt her face flush with embarrassment. Clearly a good night's sleep had rejuvenated the brunette enough that she felt comfortable teasing her now. She just wished it wasn't at her expense. Talking about her inappropriate dreams with said subject of dreams was on her list of _never-happening._

"Regina," Emma complained, slouching down in the armchair under the brunette's gaze.

"Honest question," came the innocent reply.

"Moooom!" Henry's voice echoed from upstairs. Emma and Regina looked at each other.

"Your son is calling," Emma said.

"Oh, so now he's my son?" Regina retorted, but she stood with a smirk and went to check on Henry. Emma allowed herself to sink back against the armrest with a huff, her thoughts drifting to that dream Regina had been trying to weasel out of her. Unlike most of her dreams, this one was startlingly vivid and still clear as day in her memory.

 _The slither of sheets. A soft moan. Hot skin weighing down on her._

"Damn it," Emma muttered, rubbing her face. "Minx."

"Who, me?"

She looked up to find Regina descending the staircase, her hair let down from its bun and bouncing against her shoulders with each step.

"Yes, you," the blonde grumbled. "What did Henry want?"

"He ran out of toilet paper."

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "And you had to bring it in to him?"

"I changed his diapers, there's nothing I haven't seen before." Regina snorted softly and reclaimed her seat on the couch.

"Oh. Right." Emma looked down and fiddled with her fingers, suddenly finding it hard to hold eye contact. "Kid's lucky to have you. I'd have been a terrible parent."

She laughed a little awkwardly. Regina gave her an understanding smile.

"You would have been just fine."

"I dunno. Wanting to raise a child and being good at it are two different things. Not that it really matters at this point," she laughed without humor. "I'll never find out."

"Well, it's not too late, you know."

When Emma's eyes lifted to Regina's, the brunette shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

"I just mean- it's an option. You're still young."

"You're not _that_ much older than I am."

"Aren't I? I'm technically almost seventy."

Emma grimaced. "Hey, the twenty eight years you were frozen in time don't count."

"Okay, then I'm thirty nine."

At that, Emma relaxed and managed to waggle an eyebrow at her brunette counterpart. "Works for me. I like mature women."

Regina blinked, then pursed her lips, clearly trying to resist giving a reaction. The blonde smiled victoriously before her thoughts drifted back to what Regina had said only moments ago.

"How is raising a baby still an option for me?"

"Oh." Regina had clearly hoped that comment would be left alone, but seemed to relent after a moment of meeting the blonde's very green gaze. "Well… you're young. And I'm sure Henry would understand. You understood why your parents wanted Neal, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but…" Emma hesitated, suddenly wondering if this was too much to discuss with Regina at so early a point in their… was it a relationship yet? God, she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"But?" Regina prompted her.

"Well, we can't exactly… Us being… I mean... I thought adoption would be the only…"

Realization seemed to dawn on Regina at the same time Emma blushed and covered her face with her hands again.

"I just mean I wouldn't want to have anyone else's baby and since we're both women I thought our only choice would be to adopt and-" she winced. "Not that I have anything against that, adopting is great and I'm so thankful you adopted Henry-"

"Emma."

Emma peeked out from between her fingers to find Regina staring intently at her. To her relief, she didn't look angry or upset. In fact, she almost looked amused.

"I'm not suggesting anything right now," Regina said firmly, holding up her hands to halt Emma's frenzied thoughts. " _But…_ just so you are aware, there is magic that allows two women to procreate. I'm simply saying that you have options."

"Oh."

They stared at each other, neither knowing what to say next. As if she could see the gears turning in Emma's head, Regina's brows knit together.

"Like I said, I was just _informing_ you," she murmured, lines of concern etching themselves into her face. "I'm not… I'm not suggesting anything. Especially not for the immediate future."

Emma held up her hands to placate the other woman. "I know. I appreciate it. I just… It's nice to know." She smiled. Then, with relief and gratitude and a multitude of other emotions laced into her voice, she said, more softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome…"

"Moms!" Henry's voice calling out from the top of the staircase had both women jumping in surprise. Emma clutched her red jacket and Regina's jaw worked side to side.

"Yes, Henry?" They both called back at the same time.

Henry thumped his way down the staircase, a worried look on his face. "Look out the window."

Emma jumped up first, moving towards the nearest window with Regina close behind her. They pushed the curtains aside and peered out to find some sort of dark, smokey mist hanging low in the streets of Mifflin. It was almost like a heavy fog, except black.

"How long has that been there?" Emma asked, startled.

"Henry, go up to your room," said Regina, her voice terse.

"But mom-"

"Henry, go!"

Still he lingered, wringing his hands together in concern. Emma shot him a reassuring smile.

"Listen to your mom, kid. We'll handle this. Can you call your grandparents for us and let them know what's going on?"

At that, he nodded his head. "Be careful."

"We will."

Despite all they'd been through together, he was still just thirteen, and he hurtled himself at his mothers for a tight embrace, his head buried between both their shoulders.

"Go on," Emma coaxed, gently ruffling his hair as Regina kissed his temple. With one last longing glance, he disappeared up the staircase. Regina turned towards the window and narrowed her eyes as Emma subconsciously pat her thigh, realizing that she'd left her gun at home last night. Not that it was likely going to help in this situation.

"That's new," she muttered, watching the black fog drift slowly back and forth. It didn't seem to really be moving anywhere - rather it was floating just in front of the house.

"We might have captured two, but it looks like the others are still getting stronger. It's taken on a different form."

"But we can still suck it into Pandora's box, right?"

"Here's hoping."

Regina turned to the coffee table, snatched up the box, and headed for the door. Emma pulled on her jacket and followed closely, catching the brunette's hand in hers and setting her free hand on the handle of the front door.

"Ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be."

Emma smiled at the use of _'we'_ and turned the knob. They stepped out in tandem, pulling the door shut behind them and moving out to the edge of the porch. Regina's hand tightened on hers as the box gave a _click_ , vortex blasting into existence.

The black fog moved, responding to the pull of the vortex yet resisting getting sucked into oblivion. A shiver ran up Emma's spine at the way it shifted like a mass of black particles, drifting through the air yet holding together as if it were almost solid. Standing outside also made her realize how _cold_ it had gotten. The only thing keeping them warm was the buzz of magic flowing back and forth through their bodies.

"Regina," Emma called over the howling of the vortex, giving the brunette's hand another squeeze. Concern colored her voice. "I don't think it's working!"

Regina shook her head. "Let's get closer!"

With their hair whipping about their faces, they held to each other tighter and began inching their way down the path and closer to the street. Despite closing the distance, the fog just drifted back, swirling against the vortex but not actually getting pulled into the box. Emma's skin was crawling at the way the fog parted for them, drifting around them.

"Regina," she shouted again, now actually pulling at the mayor to step back. As Regina moved to follow, the fog closed in on them.

A shout of alarm left Emma's lips as she instinctively threw her other arm around Regina, trying to shield her with her body. Pandora's box snapped shut and the vortex died immediately, leaving them exposed as the smokey black fog engulfed them. Her first instinct was to hold her breath, scared to breathe the stuff in, but her thoughts were immediately scattered at the sound of Regina gasping for air.

"Regina!" she cried out, hugging her closer. Despite feeling the brunette's body against hers, she couldn't see a thing. The fog clouded around them so thickly that she actually felt blind. Gripping Regina around the waist, she started stumbling. It didn't matter what direction. They just needed to get out of the fog.

"Emma," Regina managed between coughs and gasps, her hands clawing at Emma's jacket. The blonde kept pulling her along, desperate and feeling helpless. If she knew how to teleport them with magic she would have, but the only one who knew that trick was quickly falling limp in her arms.

"Hold on!"

Her face collided with what felt like tall hedges. Emma stumbled against the damn shrubbery and moved along it, trying to feel for the iron gate that led back to the house. Desperation mixed with fear and anger had her summoning up her magic, trying to imagine _pushing_ the darkness away despite not knowing what the hell she was doing.

A single flash of light burst from within her.

Suddenly the fog was gone, slithering away from them with an audible hiss.

Emma caught Regina under the arms as the woman slumped weakly against her, lowering her to the ground so she could turn her over and check her.

"Regina! Stay with me!" she called, fear in her voice as the brunette seemed to drift in and out of consciousness.

"I… I'm here," Regina mumbled, looking tired and disoriented. She focused her eyes on Emma's face and relaxed ever so slightly before her gaze drifted past her, down the sidewalk. "Emma," she hissed in warning, a look of - fear? - appearing on her face.

Emma looked up and her body froze. Eyes wide and mouth agape, she could only stare in shock. She was looking at a second Regina- no, the _Evil Queen,_ black corset dress and all, standing amidst the thick black fog like a demon emerging from the gates of hell. She smiled at them, her blood red lips a cruel slash of crimson across that perfect face, and Emma felt her blood run cold. Regina's hands gripped her jacket tighter than ever.

"What…" Her voice died on her lips as the Evil Queen met her gaze directly, with eyes so black that Emma felt like she would drown in them, choking and gasping for dear life. Something warm grabbed her hand and squeezed, pulling magic from within her.

As the Evil Queen thrust out her arms with an attack, Regina threw up a protection spell around them. Black fog collided against their yellow tinted barrier hard enough that they were actually rattled in place as if hit by an earthquake. Emma braced herself with Regina leaning against her chest for support, her head ducked as the fog enclosed their bubble-like shield, surrounding them in darkness once again.

"Help me push back," Regina said. Emma nodded once, then, with their hands still linked, she reached deep within herself for that extra reserve of magic and dredged it to the surface, envisioning an outward explosion of light. Regina focused their combined power, held it back just a moment, then released it all at once.

The darkness around them was expelled, replaced by a blast of white light that chased the fog back towards the Evil Queen. She winced away as the light touched her, but then shrugged it off with a sneer. Emma put an arm around Regina's waist again and helped them both to their feet.

"How is she here?" Emma questioned nervously, keeping a firm grip on Regina as if to prove to herself that there were, indeed, two of them, and she wasn't just going crazy.

"I don't know," came the tense reply. Then Regina, _her_ Regina, curled her lip in a snarl. "But there's only room for _one_ of me in Storybrooke."

She moved out of Emma's arms and flung a fireball with the speed and ferocity of someone aiming to kill. The Evil Queen had been anticipating this, however, and sidestepped the attack with a smirk. If Emma had been wondering whether the demon had Regina's voice, she didn't have to wonder long. A low, wicked laugh escaped the Queen's throat, sounding far too much like Regina for either of their liking, and with a flourishing wave of her hand, the black smoke coiled around her and she disappeared.

Regina stood rigid, her shoulders heaving with each breath, glaring at the spot her clone had been standing in moments before. Emma felt herself sagging in place, just relieved that there wasn't any more fog in sight.

"Hey," she said, gently touching the brunette's shoulder. Regina tensed momentarily before wilting under her touch, almost stumbling back against Emma's chest, her exhaustion finally catching up to her. Whatever the demon had done, it had clearly taken its toll. Emma held her up, supportive and more than a little protective. "I've got you."

Before the brunette could argue, she'd carefully lifted the woman into her arms, bridal style, and started back towards the house. It was the screech of tires on the street that had her hurrying for the door, hackles raised, as if she was afraid of getting attacked from behind.

"Emma!" David's warm, familiar voice called out.

"Oh my god," she breathed out, turning to look at her father, relief flooding through her. "Dad! Help me inside."

He ran to get the door, Mary Margaret close behind with Neal in her arms. Her mother looked to be herself again, other than the concern etched into her features.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret cried out. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Emma said, more to reassure herself than anything, hurrying inside to lay Regina on the couch. "A demon attacked us. I don't know what it did to her, but-"

"Emma," Regina interrupted, a pinched look on her face. "Pandora's box."

But Emma, not daring to leave Regina's side for even a moment, clutched the brunette's hand within hers and looked up pleadingly at her father. "Dad, we dropped Pandora's box outside, can you grab it?"

David nodded and hurried out. Mary Margaret placed Neal securely in a padded armchair and then dropped to her knees next to Emma by the couch. Footsteps thundering down the staircase heralded Henry, nearly knocking into the couch in his haste to get to his downed mother.

"Mom!" He dropped to the floor on Emma's other side, nearly in tears. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Henry," Regina promised, managing a weak smile. "Just… drained. Need… rest."

"What can I do?" Emma asked, her voice wavering. She would do anything to help, give anything to help.

"Barrier," said Regina, closing her eyes to combat the dizziness. "Protection spell… around the house. They'll be back."

Emma nodded, giving Henry's shoulder a squeeze, knowing he would stay with her, and then turning to her mother. "Stay with them," she pleaded.

"I will. Go, be careful," said Mary Margaret, touching Emma's cheek. The Sheriff jumped to her feet and hurried to the door at the same time her father returned with Pandora's box in his hands and a disturbed look on his face.

"I saw something outside," he said, voice tight. "I think they want the box."

Emma nodded wordlessly and stepped out onto the porch, taking in a deep breath and calling up her inner magic once more. Gold had once taught her how to cast a protective barrier, saying that she had to _feel_ it, feel the desire of wanting to protect something or something. Regina's face appeared in her mind's eye and she focused on that.

She would _not_ let the demons harm Regina Mills again.

Magic pulsed within her and she pushed it outwards, imagining a big, impenetrable barrier surrounding the house. David stood just behind her and made a sound of surprise as the barrier took form, glimmering with a warm yellow-pink light. It cast a tingling sensation of warmth over them, only then making him realize how unusually cold it had been moments earlier.

"Will that keep them out?" he asked, tentatively.

"For now," Emma breathed, her shoulders slumping. "I don't know for how long, though. They clearly want the box, and for whatever reason, they wanted Regina too."

"At least they didn't get her," he replied.

"I don't know about that…" Emma grimaced, remembering the way the Evil Queen had smiled at her, wild and dangerous. "One of the demons took Regina's form. It _looked_ like the Evil Queen."

"Is that why Regina's-?" he didn't finish the question, motioning a hand in the direction of the living room. Emma nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

"The black fog, it grabbed us, and Regina started choking and I couldn't do anything. She was dying in my arms, Dad, and I couldn't-" Her voice hitched and her father instinctively put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you did everything you could. Regina's still alive, and now we're here to help you." Making up his mind, David nodded to himself and started gently pulling her towards the living room, pushing Pandora's box into her hands. "You take care of her. I'm going to go get backup. The demons want a fight, we'll give 'em one."

"But you said you saw them outside!"

"They're after the box, not me. I'll be fine." He pushed her towards the couch, then quickly relayed his plan to the others. Mary Margaret stood.

"I'm coming with you."

"But Neal-"

"I'll watch over Neal," said Henry, a look of grim determination in his eyes. "You guys find help. We have to stop those demons, no matter what."

"Mom, dad," said Emma, her voice suddenly small. Her parents pulled her to them for a quick hug, squeezing her tightly.

"We'll be back as soon as possible," they promised, and then they were gone.

"Henry?" Emma looked to him, lost. Somehow, her thirteen year old son looked a lot older and braver than he had before.

"Mom needs rest. Can you bring her up to her room?"

"Yeah, but…"

"I've got Neal. Just take care of her, okay?" He glanced to the couch where Regina was clearly struggling to stay conscious, then back up to his birth mother. "She needs you."

"Okay… Shout if anything happens or if anyone comes back."

He promised he would, so she lifted Regina back into her arms and carefully took her up the staircase and down the hall to the master bedroom. She'd never been into Regina's room before, but hardly even noticed her surroundings as she set the brunette down in the bed and gingerly removed her high heels. Her trembling hands went unnoticed until she was tucking the blankets in under Regina's chin.

"Emma," Regina murmured, lifting a hand to grab one of the blonde's shaking hands. "I'm okay. Really."

"You don't look okay," Emma whispered back, her expression crumbling as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I couldn't even protect you out there."

"If not for you, I'd be dead."

"Regina…"

"Lie down," the brunette said, her husky voice soft. "Stay with me."

Emma stared at her, tears prickling the corners of her eyes as she worried at her lower lip, half wishing the older woman would just yell at her for screwing up again. Instead, Regina looked at her with such a pleading, trusting expression that she almost wanted to cry. She needed to be out there, doing _something_ to make up for her failure.

"Emma," Regina said again, giving her hand a tug. "Please."

Unable to deny her anything, Emma reluctantly kicked off her boots, put her jacket and Pandora's box aside, and slid under the covers, giving Regina's hand a squeeze. The brunette sluggishly rolled herself over and settled back against Emma's chest, nestling herself in until Emma finally put her arms around her and spooned her like an intimate lover.

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered against dark hair, her voice choked with emotion. Regina's arms tightened briefly around hers.

"Don't be," she whispered back, her voice slurring ever so slightly as sleep beckoned her. "You saved me, Emma..."

Exhaustion claimed the Queen moments later, relaxing into a deep sleep now that she was nestled into safe arms. Her White Knight lay still, keeping watch over her the whole time.


	10. A Glimmer of Hope

_All it takes is a pinch of pixie dust and a little bit of hope. SwanQueen fluff and love. :)_

* * *

She wasn't sure how long they laid there. Hours, perhaps. She heard the front door open and a bunch of voices and footsteps enter the house. A moment later and it was her own mother who peeked her head in, finding Emma and Regina curled together on the bed, the blonde's arms wrapped protectively around the brunette's waist.

"How is she?" Mary Margaret whispered, lingering in the doorway. Emma was glad she said nothing of their current position in bed. She wasn't really in the mood to discuss it.

"Sleeping like a rock," came the quiet reply, her voice rough from misuse. "What's going on downstairs?"

"We brought backup," her mother said with a grin and a glint in her eye. As she inched further into the room, Emma noticed the bow and quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder. She always did a double take whenever she saw her mother armed for battle, having to remind herself that the tiny brunette was the badass Snow White and not the timid little Mary Margaret she'd first met.

"My barrier still up?" All that use of her magic had left her tired as well after the initial adrenaline had worn off and she'd been drifting in and out of sleep these past few hours. It helped that she was immensely comfortable, wrapped around Regina's slender form and sharing her body heat.

"So far so good. We couldn't get Blue to snap out of it but Nova and Tinkerbell have been a great help. We've got Grumpy, August, Belle, Granny, Ruby, and Grayson here too."

"Ruby and Grayson?" Emma's brows knit together in concern.

"They were both back to themselves when we went by the station, though they wouldn't tell us how, and August was keeping mum. Besides, your barrier's keeping the demon influence out for now, and we can use all the help we can get."

Emma nodded slowly, turning her head and breathing in deeply of Regina's apple scented shampoo. The scent of apples was quickly becoming a comfort to her. "How's the kid?" she murmured. Mary Margaret leaned against the wall next to the door.

"Worried, but putting on his brave face." They both smiled at that. "He asked me about you two, you know."

Emma lifted her head with a frown. "What did he say?"

"Just asked me if I noticed something different between you and Regina." Mary Margaret quirked a brow, looking amused. "You'll have to tell him eventually, you know."

"I just… don't want to rush it. Regina needs time." After a pause, she added, "Maybe I do too."

Her mother nodded. "Of course. Just don't wait too long. He'll want to know. He'll be happy for you both."

Emma nodded, but a part of her worried nonetheless. There was a big difference between wanting your mother to find someone, and your mother getting together with your other mother. She didn't even know his stance on same-sex relationships. Did Regina ever have that talk with him? The fake memories Regina had given her when she and Henry had escaped to New York didn't include talks like that.

No, not fake. It wasn't fair to call them that. They were Regina's memories. Altered, so that Emma would think she had raised Henry in New York, but hers nonetheless. An intimate fact that they had never talked about even after their return to Storybrooke. She had never truly thanked Regina for sharing those with her, even if they were slowly but surely fading from her mind, becoming a vague, blurry remnant of a memory that had lost its feel of realness a long time ago. Emma supposed that was to be expected- they were never hers to begin with.

A problem for another day, perhaps. She didn't want to think about it right now.

"I'll be down in a bit," Emma said after a pause, taking stock of the fact that one of her arms was pinned under Regina's body and it would take some careful wiggling to detach herself without waking the brunette. Mary Margaret gave a flippant wave of her hand.

"Stay with her. You should get some more sleep too. We'll get things ready downstairs in the meantime."

"But-"

"Emma." Her mother gave her a look. "Let us handle things for a while, okay?"

"Kay… thanks, mom." Emma nestled back down into the pillow, her cheek brushing against Regina's head. The brunette shifted in her sleep and gently squeezed Emma's hand.

* * *

Mary Margaret smiled softly at her daughter, carefully closing the door as she left and tiptoed down the hall.

Everyone downstairs had relocated to the living room, spread out on seats while David stood guard by the window. Most of the room was armed, too; Granny cradled her crossbow in her arms, Grumpy had his axe, August had a spare pistol from the Sheriff's station, and the fairies had their wands. Grayson and Ruby sat on the couch with an awkward gap between them, neither acknowledging each other.

Henry sat in the armchair with Neal in his arms, Belle crouched next to him and cooing at the baby.

"How are they?" he asked as soon his grandmother approached.

"Resting. They'll be fine," Mary Margaret said with a reassuring smile. Then, directed to everyone else, "It may be wise to assume that they will not be able to fight with us, however."

"But they're the only ones who can use Pandora's box," David voiced.

"There are other ways," Nova offered.

"Not nearly as good as the box," said Tinkerbell. "But options, nonetheless."

"Like?" Granny prompted.

Nova and Tinkerbell exchanged frowns.

"Portals," they both said. A rumble of disapproval filled the room.

"Too unpredictable," someone said.

"So we're just going to pass them off onto the next unsuspecting world?" another muttered.

"Nothing good ever happens when we open portals around here," a third complained.

"Do you have a better idea?" Tink snapped.

"Anything's better than a stupid portal!"

Before anyone could get any louder, David stepped in. "Keep it down, they're resting."

He and Mary Margaret exchanged a wary look.

"I know portals aren't ideal, but we have very few options left. We need to accept the fact that we may not have a choice if it comes down to it."

"We still have time," Mary Margaret soothed. "We'll figure something out."

* * *

Regina woke first, coming to slowly as if waking from a long hibernation. She blinked in the dim lighting and guessed it was early evening from the dull reds and oranges filtering through the narrow gap in the thick curtains. It took a long, languid moment for her to realize the warmth cocooning her was Emma Swan, at which point she stiffened and lifted her head from the pillow. Memory of when she was first brought up here came to mind and she cringed at how _vulnerable_ she'd been acting, as if she were five years old and not a grown ass woman. The last thing she needed was Emma thinking her to be weak.

"Emma," she said, trying to carefully pry loose the blonde's arms so that she could get out of bed. The Sheriff just snuggled in a little closer, face buried against her neck, breath warm on her skin. Regina shivered involuntarily. The logical part of her brain wondered where Henry was, if he was okay, and what was going on downstairs. The rest of her brain couldn't stop thinking about the blonde's legs tangled with hers. "Emma, wake up."

"Five more minutes," Emma mumbled, half-awake, her voice rough and husky in her ear. Regina closed her eyes and counted silently to ten, taking a deep breath with each number. Decidedly calmer, she reached under the blankets to grab Emma's arm and move it aside. The blonde had other ideas and locked her hands together. When Regina turned her head, she met a very alert pair of green eyes.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked quietly, voice still husky with sleep. Despite it all, the protectiveness in her tone was clear. The White Knight was guarding her Queen while she recovered and she clearly took that task very seriously.

"Getting up," said Regina, though her reply lacked its usual sharpness.

"You need more rest."

"I feel fine now, and there are demons to deal with."

"The demons can wait, my barriers are still up."

"Your barriers won't last forever."

"They'll last through the night while you recover."

"I feel _fine._ "

"I don't care."

"Miss _Swan-"_

"Don't." Emma's expression hardened but her green eyes turned pleading. Vulnerable. _Hurt._ Regina's chest ached at the sight. When in the world did Emma's pain cause her so much grief and heartbreak?

" _Emma_ ," she whispered, lifting a hand to touch Emma's cheek. The other woman instinctively leaned into the touch without breaking their gaze. "I'm sorry, Emma. But-"

"The demons can wait," Emma insisted, imploring. "You need rest, and our friends and family are downstairs working on a plan. Everything will be fine."

"Everyone's downstairs?"

Regina's brow lifted in her signature way. Emma couldn't resist a bit of a smile knowing exactly why the brunette was making a face.

"They won't make a mess, I promise."

The brunette just sighed, pulling her hand away to rub at her temple. To her surprise, the gentle pressure around her waist disappeared as Emma lifted her hands to gently massage Regina's scalp, fingers working through dark hair with ease.

"How's that?" Emma murmured, working her thumbs across Regina's temples. The brunette moaned softly, eyes fluttering shut as the pressure in her head dissipated from the blonde's gentle ministrations.

"Feels good," came the rough, husky response. Regina relaxed into the bed, feeling Emma shift beside her as she repositioned herself so that she could more easily massage her head. Seconds turned to minutes, and Regina could very well have fallen asleep to the blonde's touches until she felt a soft kiss to her cheek.

Brown eyes opened to see a head of blonde hair as Emma laid another kiss on her cheek, then one to her jaw, and one a little closer to her ear. When Emma lifted her head, her green eyes were very, very dark.

"Can I kiss you?" she asked in a low, breathy whisper. Always the chivalrous one.

Regina swallowed audibly, faced with a choice that should have been easy. They had already shared True Love's kiss - multiple times - and there was no denying the chemistry between them, but it was the never ending voice in her head that stopped her from answering. The voice that reminded her of Daniel, of Robin, of Cora, of the Evil Queen. Most of all, the voice that wouldn't stop asking, _Why me? Why would you choose me?_

And, perhaps sensing the ugly doubt rearing its head in Regina's eyes and mistaking it for rejection, Emma's expression turned unreadable, and she moved away and rolled onto her back with her head turned in the opposite direction, a sigh of defeat escaping her chest.

Without the blonde wrapped around her, Regina suddenly felt cold. Alone. _Frightened._

And being without Emma Swan felt worse than her fears of _being_ with Emma Swan.

Regina rolled over onto Emma, cupped her face, and kissed her.

Strong arms immediately wrapped around her waist, hands flush against her back as Emma returned the kiss with fervor. Her sigh of relief was swallowed by the brunette as she tangled her fingers into her thick blonde mane, crimson red lips crushed against pink ones. Teeth and tongue entered the fray, tasting deeply of each other, pushing and pulling, almost desperate for more. Regina sucked the blonde's lower lip into her mouth and bit down just hard enough to sting, enticing a groan from the younger woman before that sound too was swallowed by another kiss.

Emma's hands slid their way up Regina's back to her shoulders and then down again, feeling the curve of every muscle under the soft silk fabric and wondering what it would feel like if she were touching her bare skin directly. When the brunette pressed herself down against her, Emma rolled them over, caressing Regina's sides as she broke away from their lip-lock to leave a sticky trail of kisses down her jaw and neck to her collarbone. Regina's head was tilted up, eyes closed, red lips parted in a breathless moan. She could feel Emma's chin settling over the swell of her breasts, lips smiling against her exposed skin where her unbuttoned shirt didn't quite reach.

"We need to rest," Emma murmured, though her dark eyes said she wanted to do the very opposite. Regina groaned, this time with exasperation.

"You really do have terrible timing."

"The worst," Emma agreed with a low chuckle, settling in next to her with her chin now resting against Regina's shoulder. "But you need to recover your strength while the barrier still holds. Besides, I'd rather not have our first time be with all our friends and family just downstairs having a war meeting."

"Who said we were going to have sex?"

The smile fell from Emma's lips. Had she made a grave assumption? But when she glanced up - nervously, she might add - Regina was smirking at her with a devilish glint in her eyes, and it took a lot of effort not to bury her face in the pillow and groan.

"I thought we might just get a little… _frisky._ But since you insist on resting…" Regina rolled over, her back to Emma, and made a show of getting herself comfortable under the blankets. Emma bit the inside of her cheek.

"Minx."

"Who, me?"

With a dramatic sigh, Emma shifted onto her side and settled in next to Regina, resting her arm around the brunette's waist and feeling her snuggle in closer. The brunette's hand found hers and they linked their fingers together.

"Hey," mumbled Emma, her voice gruff.

"Hm?"

"I never thanked you for sharing your memories of raising Henry with me."

There was a long pause in which Regina chewed gently at her lower lip and Emma just stared into the darkness, comfortable and waiting. The change in subject wasn't unwelcome, but it was certainly unexpected.

"They're fading now, aren't they?" the brunette finally said. She'd wondered about that but had never asked until now. The memories had been implanted by magic and it only made sense that they would slowly fade away once Emma had regained her real memories, overpowering the implanted ones.

"Yeah." Emma's arm tightened around her waist a little. In a selfish way, she wished they wouldn't fade. Despite knowing now that the memories were just implanted - that they never happened and she never raised Henry - she still held them close to their heart, and it hurt to think that she would eventually forget them. "They made me feel like… like we raised him together, almost. That I was as much a part of his childhood as you were. So… thank you."

Regina didn't respond. After a few minutes of silence, Emma stopped waiting for a reply, thinking that Regina either didn't want to say anything or that she had fallen asleep. She was about to drift off to sleep herself when she felt the familiar tingle in her arm where Regina's hand rested on hers, the warmth spreading through her entire body, humming with magic.

"Regina, you shouldn't be using ma-"

Her voice broke off as images came into her mind, vivid and clear as day. She was holding an infant in her arms, lifting him up and pressing her nose to his, feeling his warm breath against her face. Henry, swaddled in his blankets, a big smile across his face as he reached tiny little hands out towards her.

Henry, in his crib, crying out for her. She'd stumbled across the room in the middle of the night to pick him up and hold him close, cooing and blowing kisses and promising him everything in the world and more as he squeezed her finger with his entire fist.

Henry, five years old and snuggled into her lap as she read him his favourite storybooks, the top of his head bumping up against her chin every time he bounced or wriggled in delight at her attempts at using a funny voice for each character.

Henry, eight and rambunctious, laughing and ducking away from her hands to run another lap around the playground as she called after him. _"Henry Mills! Come back here right now and put your jacket back on before you catch a cold!"_ He'd clambered up into the wooden castle and playfully stuck his tongue out at her, only coming back down when she promised to get him a chocolate sundae at Granny's.

Through all of it, she was acutely aware of Regina's presence, seeing through her eyes yet also feeling like she was there _with_ her, as if they had, indeed, raised him together. And when the darkness of Regina's bedroom finally came back into focus, Emma found that she had tears in the corners of her eyes. A trembling breath escaped her throat as she reached into her memories and found them all there, every memory of raising Henry fresh and clear in her mind, strongly imprinted within her, promising to remain there always.

"Thank you," she whispered, holding Regina ever closer and hiding her face against her shoulder. Turning in her embrace, equally damp brown eyes met green ones and Regina's lips pulled into the softest of smiles, though she didn't say anything. She didn't really know what to say to convey how she felt in this moment, her heart swelling within her chest, threatening to burst after having just relived those beautiful memories with Emma.

So she kissed her.

Gently, lovingly, just lips brushing against tender lips.

When they broke apart, Regina just rolled back over and nestled her back against Emma's chest, relaxing into the warm embrace with the blonde's arms snug around her. Feeling safe and loved and protected for the first time in a very long time, they slept.

* * *

Discussions went on for hours, some voices speaking over each other until either David or Mary Margaret hushed them. Henry eventually wandered off to the study with Neal when the baby began fussing, and Belle made use of the kitchen to boil tea for everyone. At some point David accompanied Granny out of the house and they returned an hour later with food for everyone, which helped to settle the tension just a little bit. Leroy, at least, was far more amicable when his belly was full.

It was nearing ten o'clock and Mary Margaret was in the midst of trying to convince them to take turns keeping watch on the barrier through the night when Emma and Regina descended the staircase. Emma had Pandora's box in her hand, and Regina looked every bit as regal as she always did, makeup redone and hair perfect, nothing like the half-unconscious mess from earlier that day. Henry jumped up from where he'd been talking to Grayson and a look of half joy, half concern crossed his face.

"Moms! Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

He met them at the bottom of the staircase, hovering at Regina's side as if afraid that even a stiff wind would knock his mother over, relenting only when Regina pulled him into a hug.

"I'm better now, Henry." Regina smiled at him, her gaze flitting to Emma almost shyly as she lowered her voice, speaking only for him and Emma to hear. "Emma took good care of me."

Henry grinned at his blonde mother, deciding to reward her with a hug too, then scowling and ducking away when all that got him was his hair ruffled. The sound of Neal squealing reminded them that they weren't alone, so they continued the rest of the way into the living room where every pair of eyes were on them.

"Regina, you should be resting more," Mary Margaret said, concern in her voice as she approached the two women, Neal still in her arms.

"Nonsense, I'm fine now. We have a town to protect." When Mary Margaret lifted a brow at her, not in a jab but rather in amusement, she added in a grumble, "And besides, it looks like there's an unsupervised sleepover party in my living room."

"I promised no one would make a mess," Emma chuckled. "And if they do, I'll clean it up."

Mary Margaret didn't miss the way Emma's hand rested ever so lightly against Regina's lower back, and though her lip quirked up in a smile, she smartly said nothing of it. Emma, meeting her mother's gaze with a little nod, moved further into the living room to greet the others, perching herself on the arm of the couch next to Ruby.

"Hey," she said, lifting a brow at the younger brunette. Ruby grimaced.

"Hey. Sorry about…" She flickered her hand in the air. "All that stuff before."

"Don't worry about it, you were under a curse. Just remind me never to get on your bad side."

Ruby flushed and grinned at that, elbowing Emma in the side.

"How'd you break your curse, anyway?"

She was fishing and Ruby damn well knew it, giving Emma a half-hearted attempt at the stink-eye. "It's complicated," was her unspecific answer.

Granny snorted.

"What, no details?" Emma whined, doing her best puppy-dog impression. Ruby curled her lip in a mock, teasing snarl.

"Didn't you say something about not getting on my bad side?"

"Right. So!" Emma slapped her palms down onto her thighs with a snicker, glancing around the room. "What'd we miss?"

"A whole lotta nothing," Leroy grunted.

"We hadn't decided on a plan of action," interjected David. "You two were the only ones who could use Pandora's Box, so we were looking for alternatives."

"Well we're here now, but Pandora's Box didn't work the last time we tried." Emma glanced over to where Regina stood with an arm around Henry's shoulder. Regina straightened up a little as eyes turned to her.

"The demons are getting stronger. I think if we weakened them enough, Pandora's Box would work again. The only problem being…"

At that, she hesitated. Emma continued, "One of the demons has taken Regina's form. Er- the Evil Queen's form."

"Aw hell no," Leroy blurted out, indignant. Tinkerbell groaned and their two token werewolves gave long suffering sighs. Everyone else had some form of a grimace on their faces. No one wanted to face the Evil Queen again, especially not a demon version.

"Sorry," Regina muttered with a roll of her eyes, though she didn't sound sorry at all. Emma caught her gaze and flashed her a quick grin. At least someone thought this was funny.

"So how do we weaken the demons?" said Mary Margaret, trying to keep everyone on track. There was a round of shrugs, and again, all eyes fell on the Queen and the Savior. When even Emma deferred to her, Regina sighed dramatically. It was a wonder Storybrooke hadn't fallen into disrepair during her time away from office.

"As it stands, it looks like the demons gain a solid, physical form as they grow stronger. This means they're more powerful, but they should also be susceptible to physical attacks. I trust you all know how to flail swords and shoot arrows."

Grumbled agreements filled the room. David and Mary Margaret were grinning at each other like they wanted to laugh but knew better.

"If you all can damage them by physical means, Emma and I can conserve our strength for capturing them in Pandora's Box."

"And you're sure that'll work?" August asked, skeptical.

"I make no promises," was Regina's curt reply.

"That's not very reassuring," said Grayson, hunched forward on the couch with his elbows on his knees. Ruby glanced at him then and he averted his eyes just as quickly, with Emma watching them all the while.

Mary Margaret rocked Neal back and forth and frowned, thoughtful. "But I thought Pandora's Box didn't work on the demon this morning," she began, slowly. "And didn't Henry say that it started out as a black mist?"

Regina seemed to mull that over before responding. She didn't like to sound uncertain of herself but she also didn't want to say something wrong and get called out on it later. "It was still more solid than a shadow, and definitely stronger than before. In hindsight, Emma and I should have attacked it with magic first before using the box."

She glanced again at Emma, who was just grinning at her like a golden retriever puppy at this point. The blonde couldn't help but perk up every time Regina said _'Emma and I,'_ as if it were a subtle reassurance that they came as a pair now.

"Sounds safer than opening portals," David nodded.

"Good. We're agreed then." Regina released Henry's shoulders and settled her hands on her hips. "Let's begin."

"Whoa," David and Mary Margaret said at the same time, drawing Regina's startled attention. "We're not doing anything tonight."

Regina gave them one of her patented eyebrow raises. "Why not?"

"You want to fight shadows in the dark?" said Grayson with a snort. Even Ruby seemed to nod in agreement to that.

" _Besides,"_ said Mary Margaret, giving Regina a more pointed look. "You were _not_ okay earlier today. You need to rest up fully."

"The rest of us can take turns standing guard. We'll go demon hunting tomorrow," David finished, smiling gently.

Ruby glanced up to find a very sentimental look on Emma's face. The blonde was watching in amazement as her parents fussed over Regina. Just a couple years ago they had been at each other's throats, now they genuinely cared.

Regina was about to object when Emma reached across the short distance to grasp her wrist. "Everything's fine, Regina. It's just one night, okay?"

Grudgingly, and only after a moment of staring into those green eyes, the brunette agreed.

"I'm getting a glass of water," she sighed. "Go back to bed, Emma. You need to rest too. I'll be up shortly."

Her eyes lifted to find David and Mary Margaret staring intently at her, only then realizing her slip. Trying vainly to brush it off like she hadn't just insinuated that she'd be sharing a bed with their daughter, Regina nodded a curt goodnight to everyone and stalked off to the kitchen, cursing in her head the entire way.

Emma just grinned and stood. "The lady has spoken." Bidding a friendlier goodnight than her brunette counterpart, she kissed Henry and ruffled his hair on her way back upstairs. "Don't stay up too late, kid."

"I won't, Ma." Henry watched her go, then gave his grandparents an odd look, to which the Charmings just innocently looked away as if they hadn't noticed anything at all.

Quietly breaking away from the group, Tinkerbell headed into the kitchen after her friend.

"Regina," she said, finding the brunette leaning against the sink with a glass of water in hand.

"Not now, Tinkerbell." Regina rubbed at her temple with her free hand. The headache had returned in Emma's absence, more so when Tink's presence tended to make her think of Robin Hood. And that was not a train of thought she liked very much anymore.

"Just checking in on you. As a friend." Tink perched herself on an island stool and rested her elbows on the marble countertop. "How are you doing?"

"Tired." A heavy sigh left her chest as Regina turned to face the fairy. The stress-induced vein on her forehead was prominent in the bright lights of the kitchen. "I don't know exactly how that demon stole my form, but it would have killed me today if not for-"

She broke off, hesitating. Maybe this was not the conversation to be having with Team Robin.

"Emma," Tinkerbell finished. Regina nodded stiffly. "She really cares about you."

"Well, we are family," was the brunette's evasive reply. "Besides, Henry would never forgive her if she let me die."

"Oh, stop it," Tink huffed. "I know what's going on. Snow told me."

"Snow?" Regina's nostrils flared. How the hell did Snow know? Did Emma tell her mother? A flash of betrayal burned through her before she could squelch the thought.

"Apparently she was onto you two from the beginning," said Tink, oblivious to the afflicted emotions roiling in Regina at that very moment. "But that's not what's important right now. Why didn't you tell me?"

Regina redirected her newfound anger. "Tell you what? That I realized I had feelings for someone who _wasn't_ on the other end of your stupid pixie dust? Don't change the goddamned subject, Tinkerbell. Why the hell did Snow White tell you about us? It's none of her business and it _certainly_ isn't yours-"

"She was trying to help you, Regina." Tink looked less than pleased at the attack but persisted. "She knew how upset you were about Robin and how seriously you took the soulmate thing. She wanted to know if it was possible that you could have another soulmate, or that maybe I'd made a mistake."

Regina scowled. Snow White was a frustrating anomaly on the best of days. Not to mention her inability to keep her nose out of other people's business. Jesus. _"Why?"_

"You might find it hard to believe, but she does love you and want you to be happy." Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Tinkerbell lifted her delicate shoulders in a shrug and slouched a little further onto the island counter. "Besides, she had a point. I've had a long time to think about the past, especially after Robin left."

Regina winced and Tinkerbell gave her an apologetic smile.

"Get to the point," said the brunette, dryly.

"Emma didn't even exist back when the dust led you to Robin. And you were younger then."

Regina nodded, impatient.

"I really thought about it, and I think I understand why it led you to Robin back then. The pixie dust wasn't wrong, I hadn't made a mistake. Back then, Robin _was_ your soulmate."

Irritation bubbled up to the surface and Regina could nearly feel the vein in her forehead pulsing with her headache. "Thank you for that obvious revelation," she snapped, bitterly sarcastic. Tinkerbell held up her hands in a placating gesture.

"I said _back then._ But you're not the same Regina as back then, are you? More than thirty years later, you're a completely different person. You've grown, you've changed. You hurt and you healed. The younger Regina from back then could have lived happily ever after with Robin. But you? He wouldn't have been right for _you._ "

She ended her little speech with a grin, letting the silence stretch on as her words sank in. Regina had since set her glass down on the counter, a pained look in her eyes.

"What are you saying?"

Instead of responding, Tinkerbell reached into her pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. She held it up in plain view until realization dawned on Regina's face.

"One more try?" Tinkerbell suggested, softly.

Fear surged up within the brunette. Fear that the pixie dust would lead to the town line. Fear that it would disappear into the distance, on its way to find Robin at wherever it was that he and his family had gone to. Fear that whatever she and Emma had been tentatively building between them wasn't going to change the fact that she was forever tied to a man who didn't choose her. A man that she hadn't truly chosen for herself.

But she needed to know.

Unable to speak, Regina just nodded her head.

Tinkerbell shook the small amount of pixie dust into the palm of her hand, watching it glitter beneath the kitchen lights. Instead of admiring the magical dust, however, she stared pointedly at Regina as she threw the dust.

"Lead us to Regina's soulmate."

* * *

"Mary Margaret." David touched her arm with a nod of his head. She glanced up in the direction he was staring and her mouth dropped open with a soft gasp.

Pixie dust.

Except this was a trail of glowing, shimmering gold, gently spiraling its way up the staircase, and in its wake walked Regina and Tinkerbell. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Tink stopped and smiled, knowing it was as far as she went. Regina continued up the staircase, the oddest look of wonderment on her face as she followed the lights and disappeared to the second floor.

"Was that…?"

Mary Margaret and David glanced over to find Henry standing up, his eyes wide.

"Pixie dust," Tinkerbell said from the bottom of the stairs, still smiling, looking like she'd finally found peace after many years of guilt and regret.

Henry's head whipped towards his grandparents, and at this point, so did everyone else's.

"Does that mean-?"

"Yes, Henry," said Mary Margaret, unable to stop the wetness accumulating in her eyes. She had no doubt that the memory of Regina following that pixie dust - with hope and relief and joy in her expression - would remain with her forever. "Your mom found her soulmate."

Love and contentment radiated from the teenager as he relaxed and smiled. Snow was crying freely with Neal cradled in her arms and David embracing her, Ruby sniffled, and everyone in the living room shared smiles as the sound of laughter mixed with joyous tears echoed down to them from upstairs.


	11. To Family

_The one with the Swan-Mills-Charming-everyone family breakfast._

* * *

Emma woke slowly, feeling well rested and comfortable. She was wrapped around the still sleeping Regina, feeling the brunette's chest rise and fall with each soft breath. Pale light filtered in through the curtains and she could hear the quiet clatter of people in the kitchen downstairs. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so peaceful in the morning. Then again, it was the first time she'd woken up next to her soulmate.

The night before was still crystal clear in her mind. She'd been sitting on the end of Regina's bed with the lights off, waiting for the brunette to return. There was a murmur of voices from downstairs, followed by silence that had her cocking her head to one side, listening curiously. The only thing she could hear were soft footsteps coming up the stairs and moving down the hall.

Then the doorway was filled by a golden glow. Emma hadn't been sure of what she was seeing at first, blinking and squinting as what looked like golden dust floated into the room. If she hadn't felt safely surrounded by family, friends, and a magical barrier, she might have defended herself. As it were, the golden dust just bobbed right up to her and circled her like a soft aura of light, warm against her skin, and ticklish where it actually brushed up against her.

She chuckled, wondering if this was some sort of magic trick from Regina. But then Regina walked into the room looking shell shocked and Emma's brows knit together with immediate concern.

"Regina? What's wrong? Are you doing this?"

For a moment, the brunette couldn't reply. Her eyes were wet and her lips were parted but silent. Then, swallowing down the lump in her throat and shaking her head in disbelief, she said, "That's Tinkerbell's pixie dust."

Emma's mouth opened, then shut, then opened again. She was slowly but surely putting the pieces together, eyebrows rising until they nearly hit her hairline.

"But… I thought…"

"That was more than thirty years ago," Regina said softly, repeating what Tinkerbell had said to her. "I've changed." She watched the way the pixie dust swirled slowly around Emma, making her glow in an almost ethereal light in the otherwise dark room, the gold matching perfectly against her blonde hair. An emotional smile found its way to Regina's trembling lips. "And now here you are."

A laugh bubbled up from within Emma, one that was giddy and surprised and just dawning on the fact that this was happening. This was actually happening. "Yeah," she whispered, standing up, the golden dust moving with her like a cloak of warmth. "Here I am."

She held out her arms, green eyes wet and reflecting the golden light, a quivering smile stretching across her lips. Regina rushed forward to close the distance between them, throwing herself into Emma's arms with an unrestrained sob, tightly enclosed in the blonde's arms. Next thing she knew, Emma was swinging her around in a circle, laughing and crying all at once, and Regina just laughed and cried with her because she had never felt this way before, not even with Daniel, and to hell with appearances because she was going to indulge in this breathtaking moment and let her emotions take over for once. The woman she chose was her soulmate, and her soulmate chose her too.

She didn't think it had been possible. Not for her.

But here they were.

"I love you," Regina gasped between breaths, her feet touching the floor as Emma stopped spinning her around. She'd said it. She'd said it first, no less. Regina Mills should have been mortified, but she wasn't, not when she was feeling overwhelmed with happiness, with her soulmate embracing her the way she was and the sounds of their laughter and tears mixing together like a beautiful symphony.

Emma pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, their foreheads resting together, noses brushing. Once upon a time, she might have panicked and ran away. Fleeing was what she did best when she felt out of her depth or backed into a corner, or especially when she felt like she was obligated to be a part of someone's life in ways she wasn't ready for. But now there was only love in those bottomless green eyes, love and warmth and trust and a million other emotions that didn't fit into words, and her lips spread into a brilliant smile that dimpled her cheeks and made her glow with life. Emma Swan was afraid of many things, but a future with Regina Mills wasn't one of them.

"I love you too," she whispered, and she meant every word.

They'd kissed and clung to each other and laughed and cried some more, until eventually they came down from their emotional high and sunk into bed together, embracing like old lovers and falling asleep to the sounds of each other's soft breathing. Neither had slept so soundly as that night, finally having found their other half. There was nothing that compared to fate telling you that the woman you loved was your soulmate.

Emma was propped up on one elbow, admiring Regina's profile in the morning sunlight and committing every curve and detail to memory, when the brunette finally stirred from her slumber. A soft, rumbling exhale left her lips as she came to and noticed the blonde staring.

"Hey," Regina murmured, a dreamy smile spilling across her lips to match Emma's dopey one.

"Hey." Emma leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Regina's cheek, feeling Regina tilt her head up to return the favor. It was a sweet and innocent moment, just waking up snuggled together and exchanging a gentle kiss on the cheek, and all Emma could think about was wanting to be able to do this every morning for the rest of her life. The thought didn't scare her one bit; what was there to be afraid of, if she had Regina by her side through all of it?

Emma would have been perfectly happy lying there for as long as she could get away with, but she knew that wouldn't be the case when there was a clatter of pots and pans downstairs and a loud grumble that probably belonged to Leroy. Regina, still wrapped up in her arms, lifted an eyebrow at her and she chuckled.

"Okay, okay. Getting up." She pressed one more kiss to the brunette's cheek before releasing her and rolling off her side of the bed, landing on her hands and feet, stretching out like a giant puppy before straightening up.

Regina got out of bed far more gracefully, disappearing into the ensuite bathroom. When Emma stuck her head in through the door after politely knocking and getting an inviting hum in response, Regina was already brushing her teeth, and Emma's green toothbrush had been magicked onto the counter.

* * *

By the time they had freshened up, changed clothes, and headed downstairs (Emma had borrowed a familiar steel grey silk shirt and Regina just smirked and said, "Enjoy my shirt,") everyone was already crowded into the kitchen for breakfast. The island counter was covered in platters of fresh eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast. Granny was overseeing it all as everyone ate and talked, with David handing out coffee and Mary Margaret tending to Neal in the dining room.

Emma and Regina lingered in the main hall, just out of sight from the entryway to the kitchen, their hands clasped together.

"Should we…" Emma glanced down to their conjoined fingers, quietly offering a chance at privacy, knowing better than anyone that Regina liked to keep her personal business strictly to herself.

"I appreciate it, but it won't be necessary. I vaguely recall everyone staring at me as I followed the pixie dust, so it's certainly not a secret." Her low chuckle brought a grin to Emma's face, and she couldn't help but lean in to plant a firm kiss on those soft lips. "Now let's go see the damage done to my kitchen, hmm?"

With their hands still firmly clasped together, they entered the kitchen, braced for whatever it was that they would find. To Regina's surprise and immense relief, breakfast looked to be a relatively neat and organized ordeal, thanks to Granny's supervision no doubt. Heads lifted as they entered and there was a chorus of cheerful "goodmorning's," curious eyes noticing their clasped hands and grins all around.

"Sleep well, sister?" Leroy aimed at Emma, smirking.

"A Savior doesn't kiss and tell," the blonde fired back, grinning as Regina rolled her eyes at her.

David looked up from his work at the coffee machine and his smile grew even wider than either woman thought possible. "Good morning," he greeted warmly, setting down a mug to go hug his daughter. Regina tried to release Emma's hand but instead made a little sound in her throat as she was pulled into the embrace, David's arm firm around her shoulder, his head sandwiched between both of theirs. It was like their joint hugs with Henry... except this was David, and dear lord, Regina realized that one day, hugging an adult-sized Henry was going to be like this. She awkwardly pat David on the back.

By the time he let them go, Emma was grinning again and there was a bright blush across Regina's cheeks. She hadn't even gotten around to worrying about what Emma's parents would think and already David had hugged her like she was family. She _had_ been considered 'family' to the Charmings in the past year, sure, but this was something else entirely.

 _Glad we got over all those times we tried to kill each other in the past thirty-something years or so. By the way, I'm dating your daughter now_. _The same one I caused you to abandon thirty-something years ago. Good times._

She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at herself. Good times indeed.

"Feeling better?" David asked, guiding them both by their elbows towards the counter and thrusting plates into their hands.

"Feeling great," was Emma's enthusiastic reply. Regina just nodded shyly, speechless as Granny and Ruby started putting food onto her plate and telling her to eat up. It was a stark contrast from the way they used to set her food down roughly in front of her at the diner without a word. They had been kinder in the past year when the Charmings made it clear to all of Storybrooke that she was a "good guy" now, but it was never like this. Never like she was truly part of the group, one of their own to be cared for and looked after.

"Coffee?" David held out two mugs. Emma took them both with a smile of thanks, pouring an exact teaspoon of sugar into one (just the way Regina liked it) and sliding it to the brunette before dumping cream and sugar into her own. Regina gulped down half her cup, face hidden partially behind her mug as she examined her breakfast companions.

Granny had moved on to shoving a plate into David's hands, ordering him to eat instead of worrying about making more coffee. He ended up compiling a second plate for Mary Margaret while she was busy calming a fussy Neal in the other room.

Ruby was sitting on the bar stool next to Grayson this morning. They still weren't really talking to each other, but they no longer kept a strict ten inch distance between themselves either, elbows brushing on occasion as they reached across the table to grab another slice of toast. Amusingly, neither seemed to have an appetite for pork today.

August and Leroy were partaking in goodnatured banter, with Nova giggling at their antics and Tinkerbell just rolling her eyes at them all. Noticing Regina's gaze from the other side of the counter, she offered her a nod and a genuine smile. Regina smiled back, deciding she would have to find a way to properly thank the fairy later. Maybe a freshly baked apple turnover. Emma would appreciate the humor in that.

"Where's Henry?" She asked finally, realizing that their son was nowhere to be seen.

"With Snow and the baby," said David. Turning towards the entryway to the conjoined dining room, he shouted, "Henry! Operation Apple is a success!"

Emma and Regina both gave David a baffled look as Henry came bounding in, beaming a thousand watt smile and promptly launching himself between his mothers for a hug.

"Morning!" he chirped, easily looping his lanky arms around both women.

"Told you about his Operation, did he?" Emma directed at her father with a chuckle, instinctively ruffling at Henry's hair as Regina planted an affectionate kiss to his temple.

"That he did. It was all he could talk about after last night." David grinned, biting into a slice of bacon. Emma had an identical grin on her face, while Regina suddenly looked hesitant, pulling back to give her son a concerned look.

"Henry," she began softly, suddenly wishing they weren't surrounded by people. "Are you really okay with this? Emma and I-"

"Mom, are you kidding? I've never seen you look so happy before. That's all I ever wanted." He smiled warmly, bumping his shoulder against hers, and Regina was all barely contained joy again. It always amazed everyone at how his love and approval could so greatly affect her emotions, even to this day. Turning to his blonde mother, he continued, "Operation Apple may be a success, but I've got my eye on you from now on. No funny business when it comes to my mom."

He squinted dramatically, using his fingers to indicate that he'd be watching her. Emma snickered and purposefully leaned over him to plant a fast, sloppy kiss on Regina's mouth.

"Emma!" Regina scolded, indignant, a blush rising to her cheeks as Leroy howled with laughter. Even Ruby and Grayson were snickering.

"Eww! _Ma!"_ Henry moaned in mock disgust and scurried away from them faster than anyone had ever seen him move before, grabbing a plate of food and sliding himself in next to Ruby while giving Emma the stink-eye. Ruby offered Henry a comforting pat on the back.

"Better get used to it," she said, amused. "'Cause I get the feeling your moms are gonna be a lot touchier now than before."

"Than before?" Regina repeated, incredulous, as Henry wrinkled his nose at the mental image of his mothers _touching_ each other. He did _not_ need to know about that part of their relationship.

"Seriously? You two have, like, no sense of personal space with each other," said Ruby.

"You were always right up in her grill," Leroy added with a smirk.

"I did no such thing," Regina argued, grabbing a fork when Granny gestured impatiently at her to eat her food. Ruby snorted.

"Then explain that time you almost kissed Emma outside of the mines."

"I wasn't even _close._ "

"You so were! You walked right up to her with your faces an inch apart. She almost kissed you, right Emma?"

Ruby and Regina both looked at Emma at the same time, the former smirking and the latter narrowing her eyes in a patented Evil Queen glare. Emma shoved half an omelette into her mouth to avoid speaking altogether. Silence was technically an answer.

"Traitor!" accused Ruby.

"Thank you, dear," said Regina with a wicked grin, patting Emma's hand. No one missed the way Emma practically glowed with adoration. If she had a tail, it'd be wagging a mile a minute right about now. Ruby just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. We know what we saw. You looked ready to eat Emma outside the mines."

"You saw nothing. Besides, I recall you were stuck on the far side of the yellow tape with everyone else, miss Lucas. With the peasants." Regina curled her lip and tucked into her breakfast, and Emma just smiled and shook her head. She didn't expect Regina to be forthright about her feelings with everyone else and certainly had no intention of ever convincing her to do so. Regina being a private - and extremely stubborn - person was a part of why she loved her. Besides, it kept things interesting.

"Graham had a front row seat and he said the same thing," Ruby grumbled, cutting up her eggs with the edge of her fork. It wasn't that she was trying to pick a fight, she just didn't understand why Regina had to argue so stubbornly about not having been attracted to Emma from the start. There was no shame in that, they were confirmed soulmates now anyway, so what did it matter? It was only when the silence stretched out that she looked up, realizing her mistake. Regina had gone still, staring down at her plate. Emma had a blank look on her face, and everyone else had suddenly found something fascinating to affix their gazes to, looking at anything but them. Even Grayson, a newcomer to Storybrooke, averted his eyes.

Ruby swallowed and knit her brows together. "Shit. I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

Emma released the breath she'd been holding, only realizing how much she'd tensed up when she let her shoulders relax again. Evidently no one had ever really brought up the topic of Graham in front of everyone else these past years, either out of respect for Emma's sake, or for fear of Regina's reaction to it. Christ, had it really been more than three years? "It's fine, Rubes."

"No- Emma, Regina, really, I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. It's none of my business."

Ruby had the 'kicked puppy' look down flat. Emma deflated a little, but Regina's face was pinched when she finally looked up.

"It's fine. No use shying away from the topic for my sake. I won't pretend that I didn't do terrible things in the past, and I don't expect anyone else to forget it either."

"Regina," said Emma, her hand automatically resting on the brunette's knee with a concerned squeeze. "You don't have to-"

"I killed Graham," the brunette said evenly, her expression cool and collected. It was only after saying it that she realized she'd never confessed it out loud before, not to anyone. "I crushed his heart." For a moment she reached down, as if to grab Emma's hand - but then hesitated and pulled away at the last second, refusing herself the comfort. It had been the same hand she'd used to squeeze Graham's heart until it had turned to dust in her palm. "I know it's no consolation, but I _am_ sorry. He was a good man, and I know he was well liked."

Brown eyes hesitantly sought out Henry's gaze, awaiting judgement. She could feel Emma squeeze her knee again, knowing her all too well. It was what Regina did; owned up to her mistakes and simply expected people to hate her. It was easier to deal with the hate when you were already prepared for it.

But Henry's expression was one of sympathy, his eyes seeking to comfort her where words could not. It didn't matter how many times he told his mother that he'd forgiven her for the things she'd done in the past, she never really believed him, likely because she never believed she deserved forgiveness herself.

Emma's fingers touched Regina's chin, turning her head towards her, understanding in her eyes. Her lips were turned up in the softest of smiles. "Hey," she whispered, as if they were still lying in bed, just the two of them, waking up together. For a moment, no one else existed.

"Hey," Regina said back, instinctively relaxing with Emma's fingers under her chin, her expression softening. In the end, it was only Henry and Emma that truly mattered to her. As long as they still loved her, it didn't matter what anyone else thought of her.

At least that's what she tried to convince herself of. But it was hard to believe that when David's hand touched her back in that gentle, supportive way of his, and when she noticed Mary Margaret standing in the doorway smiling at her. They had somehow become family after all these decades of hating each other, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she did care.

"Snow," Regina greeted numbly, wondering how long the younger brunette had been standing there as Mary Margaret entered the kitchen with Neal in her arms. The baby cooed and immediately reached out his chubby arms towards her, demanding attention.

"Looks like both my children are quite taken with you," Mary Margaret laughed, holding Neal out in a way that Regina could accept or decline. After a pause, Regina took the baby and cradled him in her arms with all the ease and familiarity of an experienced mother.

"They're both crazy," Regina murmured, gently bopping his nose with her finger. He smiled at her, his eyes big and green, just like Emma's.

"Regina," Ruby said, waiting until the mayor finally looked up to meet her gaze again. "I _am_ sorry. I didn't forget but I don't hold it against you either. You really have changed. And well…" At this, she glanced to Emma and offered a supportive smile. "You're part of the family now. Which means we accept each other's faults and mistakes."

Regina smiled humorlessly, appreciating the girl's honesty for what it was. It didn't change the fact that she felt a bit sore over the entire subject still, but it was a start. "Thank you, miss Lucas."

"Call me Ruby." Sheepishly, she added, "And since we're sharing, I ate my boyfriend, so..."

And Regina really did laugh at that. "I can say I've never _eaten_ anyone, at least."

There was a dirty joke there. Sometimes the mayor made it too easy. Ruby and Emma looked at each other and wore matching shit-eating grins, though they smartly said nothing.

"I tried to eat the Bacon boys," Grayson offered, vaguely amused, as he pushed at the strip of bacon on his plate. "I _did_ eat their parents back in the Enchanted Forest."

"I tried to kill you in Neverland," Tinkerbell said. "Multiple times."

"I left Emma at an orphanage when we were little," said August, giving Emma his sad-eyes. He looked like a kicked puppy, so Emma just grinned and shrugged a shoulder at him. If it had been the other way around and she'd been the older kid, she might've left baby August behind too, so she didn't hold it against him. She hadn't been able to take care of Henry at eighteen, so August certainly couldn't have taken care of her while he'd been seven.

"I ran away from my duties as a fairy, and I even stole fairydust," Nova offered.

"I ran away from you and called you Evil," said Henry, flushing with embarrassment. It had been years ago but he still felt bad about it, especially when some people still treated his mother like a villain to this day. "Which I really didn't mean. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Henry." Regina flashed him a reassuring smile. She'd never truly been angry at him for that. How could she, when he had been partially right?

"I stole Ruby away from her mother when she was a baby," said Granny, at which Ruby flashed her grandmother a smile, having forgiven her for that a long time ago.

"I stole my dead twin brother's life," said David, leaning his hip against the counter with one arm around Mary Margaret's shoulders. "And then destroyed his Kingdom in a war."

"Mostly King George's fault," Leroy interrupted.

"And it was my fault for letting him play me," said David. "And letting things get so out of hand. Hundreds of soldiers died in that war."

"I caused the deaths of Daniel and Cora," said Mary Margaret, her voice quiet. Regina met her gaze and nodded ever so slightly. It had taken years to get here, to a point where they could all get over what they'd done to each other and coexist peacefully, and she no longer had the desire to hold on to her grudges or her need for revenge. It wasn't worth it, it wasn't worth coming between her and Emma. At least they could all come to a mutual agreement on that.

"And I brought Marian back to Robin," Emma said finally, a wry smile tugging on her lips. "I've done a lot of crap that I regret, I've made a lot of mistakes. But that one, I won't apologize for. Heck, I'd do it all over again."

She reached up and took hold of Regina's free hand, the one not holding on to Neal. "Because that mistake is the reason we found each other. And I'd relive my crappy life all over again, as many times as I had to, if it meant being your soulmate. I'll always find my way back to you, Regina."

"Ridiculous, just like your parents," Regina scoffed, blinking to hide the wetness in her eyes. She'd turned her head away from everyone else to hide in her moment of weakness, with Emma hovering closer to act as her human barrier. David lifted his mug of coffee into the air.

"To new beginnings, for all of us," he said.

"To forgiveness," Grayson said in a serious tone, which startled Ruby into actually meeting his gaze directly for the first time all morning. He gave her a significant look, to which she smiled wryly and lifted her coffee mug as well.

Three's the charm, as they say. Emma lifted her mug, cast her gaze around the table, and said, "To family."

There was a chorus of "cheers!" accompanied by the clinking of coffee mugs and a rumble of voices returning to conversation. Cutlery scraped dishes as Granny ordered them to eat up. _"Food's getting cold and we've got a big fight ahead of us!"_

Emma turned her head to find Regina murmuring sweet nothings at baby Neal, her fingers brushing gently at the wisps of his dark brown hair. Instinctively, Emma rested her hands along Regina's arms so that Neal was cradled between them. She lifted her eyes to meet the brunette's dark gaze, a warm smile gracing her lips.

'To family?" Regina murmured.

"To family," Emma agreed, leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

"That was nice, right?" Emma leaned against the heavy mahogany desk, watching as Regina plucked vials of colorful liquids from a locked cabinet in her study. The brunette gave an inelegant snort, eyes focused on her work.

"If by _nice_ you mean cheesy and juvenile, then yes, it was very nice."

"Big family meals not your thing?" Emma lifted a brow.

"My entire life since the first curse involved meals alone or with Henry, so no, I'm not loving the entire _Brady Bunch_ invading my kitchen."

Vials clinked noisily together as Regina sorted through them, pulling out ones she deemed useful and setting them aside on the table. Emma stepped up behind her to hug her from behind, her chin gently resting on her shoulder. With a sigh, Regina slowly relaxed in her arms.

"Hey, as soon as this is all over, they'll be out of here, I promise."

"I have no doubt," came the dry reply. She didn't need Emma's reassurance on that; she was perfectly capable of kicking people out of her house on her own.

With fireballs.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Bolstering our chances of success." Gently collecting the stoppered vials into a leather pouch, Regina slipped from Emma's arms and motioned for her to follow. "I trust your friends know how to follow simple instructions if I entrust these to them."

"Just don't give them anything that explodes," Emma muttered with a grimace, following her out of the study and into the main room. Everyone was already gearing up to go, strapping on their gear and weaponry. Henry sat on the couch with Neal in his arms, looking despondent.

"Why can't someone else stay?" he was complaining to his grandmother.

"Henry," Regina said briskly, putting a prompt stop to his whining. "We've already gone over this. I will not have you putting yourself in danger."

"Besides, kid," said Emma, dropping down into a crouch in front of him. "Someone needs to protect Neal while we're away, and you're the only one we trust to do that."

Henry knew they were just saying that, but there was very little he could do when his mothers were teamed up against him. He just jut out his lower lip and grumbled something about having it handled while Regina went around the room handing out vials and giving firm instructions to each person.

When everyone was ready to go, they gathered just outside the house. The morning sun was bright but the air was cool, more so with the stiff breeze that blew by every so often.

"Be careful," Henry called to them from the front door, his eyebrows knit together with a frown. Neal was fussing in his arms, as if even he knew that their family was heading into battle.

Emma and Regina stood side by side, facing the house.

"We will," Emma called back. Then, together, she and Regina lifted their hands and cast a new protection spell upon the house, magic rippling across their palms until it solidified into a golden barrier around the property. Henry glumly watched everyone march off, only closing the door and returning to the living room once they were long out of sight.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Mary Margaret asked, bumping against Emma's shoulder as they all headed down the street.

"Our combined magic is powerful, I doubt the demons can break through it," Regina answered for her. "Besides, they're after Pandora's Box, not our children."

Emma held Pandora's box in her hand with a grim smile. "Speaking of- when do you think they'll come for it?"

"I'd say right about now," David murmured, feeling the odd sensation of being watched. Their group slowed to a stop in the middle of the road. There weren't any cars around at this hour of the morning, especially not in a residential area, so they just stood there in a line on the road, weapons drawn and waiting.

"Where is it?" August said aloud, his head whipping back and forth.

A long moment passed. The wind seemed to grow colder.

Tinkerbell sucked in a breath. "There!"

Heads turned in the direction she was pointing at. On the corner of the street, a black glob was solidifying against the pole of the stop sign, widening out until it looked more human shaped. Mary Margaret immediately notched an arrow and let it fly, striking the demon directly in the head. It jerked back with a splatter of dark matter, startling everyone from their moment of shock. As they had discussed, the others closed rank behind Mary Margaret, with David on her one side and Emma and Regina on her other.

Snow White let loose another arrow, and another. They plunged into the demon's body, but it continued to drift towards them looking like a stuck pig. It was halfway down the street with a half dozen arrows jutting out of its body when Leroy lost patience and charged ahead with his pickaxe lifted over his head, a battle-cry on his lips.

"Leroy!" David shouted, exasperated. Mary Margaret's mouth hung open as her dwarven friend brought the pickaxe down with a grunt, slamming it onto the demon's head with such force that the demon crashed into the ground and caused the arrows to snap beneath its form. Stumbling from the momentum, Leroy ended up stomping over the demon, his steel-toed boots passing right through its body.

"Gah! Use the box!" he shouted to them, realizing that its physical form had lost its solidity.

"Get out of the way, you idiot!" Regina shouted back, waving her arms at him as if to shoo away a giant fly. Leroy bolted aside as Emma grabbed her hand, passing her Pandora's Box. Feeling the familiar rush of magic flow through their bodies, Regina channeled it into the box and unleashed the vortex. There was a chorus of gasps from those who had never seen the box in action before as the vortex zeroed in on the demon and began dragging it across the pavement. It shrieked angrily, clawing at the road, but the pull was too strong and the demon ended up rolling and bouncing violently across the concrete before getting sucked in.

The lid clicked shut, the wind died down immediately, and Leroy broke the silence with a loud whoop of success. The others looked pleased at the capture of their first demon, but Emma and Regina exchanged a more thoughtful look.

"That's our third?" Emma checked. The brunette nodded.

"Four left. One of which is me," Regina drawled, her lip curling. "Why do I get the feeling that was too easy?"

"If using up half of my mother's ammo - plus a stampeding Leroy - is considered easy," the blonde snorted, rolling her eyes at the dwarf. "On to the next one?"

Regina nodded. To their chatty party, she said, "Let's _go_. We don't have all day."

The brunette strode off ahead, leading the way by tracking the dark magic. As the group followed along, Leroy elbowed Emma in the ribs.

"You have a thing for the bossy ones, huh?"

"And the next person to pull a _Leroy,_ " Regina called back snarkily to them, "Is getting a fireball to the ass. _Am I clear?"_

"Crystal," the dwarf muttered as Emma laughed.


	12. Until You Learn to Love Yourself

_A demon returns for round two. Regina realizes that some things don't change._

* * *

"Maybe we've got them on the run?" David was swinging his sword in lazy arcs as they trotted along. It had been hours since their last encounter, and despite Regina remaining adamant that she was following the strongest trails of dark energy, they hadn't actually caught up to another demon.

"Yes, Charming," Regina drawled, sarcastic. "They must be terrified of your flailing sword."

David grinned at her and she shook her head with a mild roll of her eyes.

"I'm hungry," Leroy complained, to which August and Grayson agreed in tandem.

"Maybe we should break for lunch," said Ruby. "Granny and I could whip up something at the diner. We closed it for the day so we won't have to deal with anyone else who's been affected."

Regina sucked in a breath to argue. Emma saw it coming and immediately settled a hand on the small of the brunette's back.

"How about you guys go get lunch started? Regina and I will search a little while longer."

"We should stay together," Mary Margaret said, her brows furrowing.

"We'll be fine," Emma insisted. "I'll call you if we find anything, okay?"

Her mother didn't seem fond of the idea but a quick glance at Regina's agitated expression had her sighing her agreement. Once everyone had ambled off for Granny's, Emma bumped her shoulder against Regina's.

"Where to next?"

The brunette frowned and stared off aimlessly down the street. "I… don't know."

Were the others still around she would certainly not have said so, but Regina honestly didn't know what else to do. They were following the right trail but it felt like the demons were just leading them around on a wild goose chase, never stopping long enough for them to catch up.

"Okay." Emma nodded and pursed her lips. "How about we hop in the bug and keep trying? Maybe walking on foot is too slow."

"Fine. I'll teleport us to the car then," Regina said, holding out her hand. Emma grimaced and took it, watching the brunette give a graceful flick of her wrist. Purple smoke swirled around them, depositing them on the sidewalk next to Emma's yellow bug in a brief, disorienting blur. The blonde breathed out and hopped into the driver's seat, glad to anchor herself down on the familiar leather with the worn pedals under her boot. Regina might call her bug a death trap, but she found comfort and a sense of being solidly grounded while in the old vehicle, especially once it rumbled to life and made her body hum with its steady vibration.

"Pull a U-turn and take a left on Burnard," said Regina.

"Gotcha." Emma turned them around with an easy spin of the wheel, then grabbed the apple sitting in her cup holder and polished it against her jacket. Regina did a double take on the bright red fruit, her eyebrows lifting with disbelief. She'd only ever given Emma the one apple recently (and she hadn't expected the blonde to keep it either, what with her penchant for poisoning apples), but this was the third time she'd seen an apple in the car.

"Okay, where are you getting all these apples from?"

Emma's eyes shifted to hers before refocusing on the road, her lips twitching in an attempt to hide a guilty smile. "Your apple tree?" she mumbled all at once before taking a big bite from the apple, effectively shutting herself up.

"... You took apples from my tree before we were even confirmed soulmates?"

Emma paused mid-chew to flash her an apologetic grin. Regina rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that day, though this one had a hint of fond amusement in it.

"Well, I suppose you can help yourself to my apple tree now… As long as you don't take another chainsaw to it."

At that, the blonde coughed, flushing with embarrassment. The tree was slowly regrowing at the branch she'd hacked off but the marks were still there, a reminder of what she'd done three years ago. It was a wonder that Regina hadn't magically fixed it once magic had returned to Storybrooke.

"No more chainsaws, I swear," she muttered.

"Good. Take a right at the next light." Regina fell quiet in concentration so Emma focused on driving, munching at her apple as she was directed towards an old abandoned house on the outskirts of town. As the dried up fountain in the yard came into view, Emma frowned.

"This is where Zelena had been hiding out," she observed, slowing the bug to a stop at the end of the gravel driveway. Regina had a matching scowl of distaste marring her features.

"Indeed it is. The dark energy feels strongest here." She was already climbing out of the car so Emma followed, tossing her apple core into the overgrown grass. The house had remained unoccupied even after they'd gotten rid of Zelena, so the front door was unlocked and gave them free access. Inside, the main room was cool, a tad colder than it was outside, and lit only by the light coming in from the windows. Emma pulled out her phone, debating if she should call Mary Margaret yet.

"Is there one hiding here?" she asked quietly, glancing around the empty living room, unable to tell if the temperature was from the state of the unheated house or because of a demon's presence. Regina made an uncertain motion with her hands and motioned for her to check the rest of the property, so Emma crept along through the kitchen and dining rooms, eyes alert. When she reached the front foyer again, Regina was peering up the staircase to the second floor, her eyes dark.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, immediately moving to Regina's side and glancing up the stairs. The brunette's hand trailed up Emma's arm and stopped at her bicep, giving her a squeeze. Her brown eyes peered out from under thick lashes.

"We should check the bedroom," Regina said, her voice dropping into a low, suggestive tone.

"Oh." Emma's brows shot up and her lips puckered together with surprise. For a moment she wondered if she was just misunderstanding her… but there was no mistaking the heady desire in those dark brown eyes.

Regina didn't say another word. Just tilted her head ever so slightly, lips parted before teeth came down on her lower lip in a sensual bite, then she glided up the staircase. Emma watched her go, eyes transfixed on Regina's shapely ass and slender legs. Even after the brunette disappeared down the second floor hallway, Emma stood frozen, her knees locked and her breath caught in her throat. Was this really happening?

"Em-ma," Regina's voice drifted down to her, a deep and throaty purr, followed by a dark chuckle that sounded far more Evil Queen than mayor Mills.

Dear lord.

Emma scrambled up the stairs, nearly tripping herself in her hurry to give chase. Only one door was opened in the hallway that greeted her, so she headed straight for it, finding herself in what looked to be the master bedroom. Wide green eyes took in the sight of the king sized bed, then the door clicked shut behind her and she was roughly shoved up against the wall, Regina's hands all over her body.

"W-Whoa," Emma blurted out, a soft gasp escaping her lips as Regina licked and nibbled her way down her neck, teeth tugging on soft skin. Hands pulled at her jacket, yanking it off and throwing it to the floor next to the discarded Pandora's Box. Emma's thick blonde hair still smelled of Regina's apple scented shampoo and the brunette inhaled deeply, a low moan of desire escaping her throat at the mere thought of the blonde in her shower, hair wet and dripping with soap suds.

Emma shivered with delight at the moan that sounded against her ear, her hands gripping Regina's hips as the older woman pressed against her, their bodies flush and heated, warding off the brisk cold of the house. Regina's crimson lips kissed their way across her clavicle, unbuttoning her borrowed shirt and pushing it aside to reveal a bare shoulder, teeth biting down again in a possessive bite.

"Regina," the blonde breathed, threading her fingers through black hair that she had longed to touch for so long. It had grown significantly since they'd first met and Emma found she liked it better this way.

Another gasp left her as Regina yanked her shirt open the rest of the way to uncover her breasts, snugly held in a lacey black bra, now at the mercy of the cold bedroom. Regina didn't leave her cold for much longer as she began trailing hot kisses down her chest, nose and cheeks brushing against the blonde's fair skin. Her hands cupped Emma's breasts, fingers grazing over the thin fabric. Emma's head fell back against the wall, lips parted with a sigh.

"I don't think-"

"No talking," Regina ordered, her voice a silky, seductive purr. Crimson lips moved further down across her taut stomach, kissing her abdomen, fingers fumbling with her belt.

"Regina," Emma said again, breathlessly, catching at the brunette's wrists to halt her progress. "Please, not here."

Misunderstanding her meaning, Regina stood swiftly, grabbed Emma by the waist, and shoved her onto the bed with a playful growl. Her predatory smile was all teeth, her lips a slash of red across her features. The blonde bounced onto the springy mattress with a soft "oomph" and propped herself up onto her elbows as Regina climbed onto her, straddling her hips, tongue darting out to lick at her lips.

"Wait!" Emma clutched at Regina's shoulders, nearly clawing at her clothes as the brunette attacked her throat with bites and kisses again. It took a significant amount of strength to push her back enough to meet her eyes.

"I thought you wanted this," Regina said, her voice rough with desire despite the frustrated confusion in her eyes. Emma clasped one hand around the back of her neck, though she kept her other hand braced on Regina's shoulder, maintaining their distance.

"I do," she whispered. "I really do. But not here, Regina. Not like this. I wanted our first time to… to be…"

She hesitated, uncertainty coloring her green eyes. It was immediately replaced with lust and frustration as Regina's hips ground down against her core, sending a jolt of heat searing through her body and down between her legs.

"Special," Emma blurted out with a grunt, pushing a little firmer against Regina's shoulder to hold her back. "I want our first time to be special."

"It is," Regina insisted, running her hands through Emma's hair in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture, though it felt more high strung and desperate than reassuring. "Just relax, Emma."

"Regina-" But she was cut off as the brunette kissed her, lips crushed together, a tongue pressing for entry. Emma groaned, fingers digging into Regina's shoulders as that persistent tongue swept into the blonde's mouth, tasting deeply of her. For a moment, Emma lost her resolve, so swept up in the pleasure of it that she considered letting things run their course. This wasn't how she'd wanted their first time together to be, but gods, Regina felt so good against her. And then a familiar pulse of energy emanated from between them, sending tingles across her skin.

The next thing she knew, Regina had jumped off her and was on the other side of the room, her back against the wall, chest heaving and dark eyes wide with alarm. Her lipstick had smeared and her hair was ruffled where Emma had been gripping it, but she didn't seem to notice or care.

"Emma," she breathed, expression crumpling with dismay. "I am so sorry."

Dazed, Emma sat up on the bed, her brows furrowing together when she realized just how upset Regina looked. There were a million things she wanted to say to reassure the brunette that she hadn't almost forced herself on her, that she hadn't crossed a horrible boundary, but instead she blurted out, "Lust demon?"

"I…" Regina pushed her hair back from her face with trembling hands, her voice coming out shaky and uncertain. "Yes. I'm… I'm sorry, Emma."

Pushing herself off the bed, Emma hurried across the room to Regina, reaching out to take her hands. "Hey," she said, serious. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." Regina shook her head, anger and embarrassment seeping into her expression. Emma could almost _see_ the brunette's oncoming self-loathing. "You said no and I tried to force you. It's not okay at all."

"You were under a curse."

"So were you, and _you_ hadn't tried forcing yourself on me."

"The demons are stronger now," Emma argued, exasperated. "It's fine, Regina, I swear. It's not like I don't _want_ to, I just wanted to wait for a better time, that's all."

Suddenly restless and uncomfortable, Regina pulled her hands out of Emma's, expression pinched. "Stop defending my actions."

"I'm just-" Emma groaned, frustrated, as Regina gave her an adamant stare. "I don't blame you. I'm not angry. I don't want you to be angry at yourself."

Working her jaw, Regina sidestepped the blonde and retrieved Pandora's Box from the floor, heading for the door. "The demon has to be here," was all she said before she headed into the hallway. Emma rubbed her hands over her face with a long exhale, buttoned up her shirt, picked up her jacket, and trailed after her.

She found Regina in the third room down, glaring around what looked to be a guest room before she spun back into the hall and stormed down the stairs. Emma just kept quiet, following her to the kitchen downstairs. The air felt colder and she hastened to pull her jacket back on, but sadly, leather didn't do much to help hold in body heat, especially when she wore nothing but a bra and a thin silk dress shirt underneath.

"Is it here?" she asked, weary. "Should I call the others?"

"No need." Regina held her hand out without looking back at her. "Just lend me your magic."

Emma readily slid her hand into Regina's, giving the other woman a reassuring squeeze that was not returned. Instead she felt an internal pull as her magic was summoned forth, siphoning from her into Regina through their conjoined hands. It wasn't an altogether unpleasant feeling, but it certainly wasn't a warm rush of magic like before.

"Show yourself," Regina barked into the empty space, their combined magic taking a physical form as it crackled around their bodies like electricity. The hissing and popping grew louder and more volatile near the other entrance to the kitchen where a dark mist began pooling into the room like dry ice, drifting across the tiled floor.

Emma wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. Something scary and grotesque, or maybe globular and faceless like the demon from earlier that day. Certainly not a lithe female form that nearly resembled Regina, except entirely made of black matter.

"Why is it always me?" Regina muttered. Her shadowy doppelganger smiled, lips curving, and curled her fingers at them. Emma's hand tightened around Regina's, but neither woman moved. It was the particularly loud crackle of electricity from behind that had Emma whipping her head around, eyes landing on the tendrils of black smoke creeping up behind their energy field.

"Regina," she hissed. The brunette turned and, with one furious gesture of her hand, lashed the smoky tendrils with a shock of energy that set it on fire. It retreated immediately, paired with a low growl from the Regina-shaped demon in front of them. With no more patience for this foolishness, Regina drew on their combined magic and hurled a large fireball directly at the demon. It swiped at it, dispersing the flames on impact, though its shadowy black flesh sizzled from the heat. Another fireball flew, and another. The flames were spreading across the kitchen in little globs of fiery embers now, leaving streaks of soot across the walls and counters. In frustration the demon began making its way around the counter to them, lashing angrily at everything within its reach, including the old gas stove and the uncovered canister below it. Regina lifted a hand with another fireball when the sound of hissing fumes caused Emma's stomach to do an uncomfortable flip flop.

"Wait!" she blurted out, but the fireball was already being thrown and it was too late to stop it. She lunged forward to put her arm around Regina when the demon swiped the fireball aside and it collided against the gas cannister.

Emma jerked Regina back, throwing them onto the floor on the other side of the counter as the damned thing exploded in a flash of heat and light. Blinded, she hunched over Regina's body, eyes screwed shut and head tucked down. They were thrown a few feet across the floor, sliding against a wall as the counter shattered into shards of wood and old marble, raining down on them like pelting hail.

Emma's red leather jacket took the brunt of the abuse, saving her from splinters and hot chunks of rubble. Her ears were ringing even after everything settled down, and though she thought she'd asked aloud, "Are you okay?" she couldn't hear herself.

Regina was clutching at her from below, hands gripping her shirt with a vengeance as they lay huddled together. They didn't try to move for a few long seconds, just stayed frozen in place, bodies aching with fresh bruises. The ringing faded in her ears enough that she could hear their laboured breathing again, lungs struggling with the fresh smoke in the air.

"Regina?" Emma clambered to her knees, checking the brunette over for injuries.

"I'm fine," Regina muttered, brushing off her hands and glancing away with a look of embarrassment. Leave it to her to almost blow them up. Angry and annoyed, she stood up and went to check on the demon. Emma followed wearily, holding out her hand when Regina stood over the demon's wheezing body with Pandora's box in hand. It had been standing next to the stove when it exploded, taking the brunt of the damage, and now its physical form was gone, leaving behind nothing but a shuddering glob of shadows.

Their fingers linked together and Regina trapped the demon away, glad that the vortex sucked up most of the smoke, too. A brisk flick of her wrist doused the remaining flames, then she pulled her hand out of Emma's and made to leave the house.

"Regina, wait." Emma caught up to her in the foyer, ignoring the dull ache throughout her body to hurry forward and catch the older woman's wrist. Regina responded without meeting her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Hey," Emma said, voice softening. "Come on. Look at me, will you?"

Reluctant, the brunette turned around and met her gaze. Brown eyes were clouded with shame, hurt, and something else that Emma couldn't quite place.

Lifting Regina's hand in hers, Emma kissed her knuckles, lips pressing softly against each one, almost reverently. Her thumb stroked the side of her palm and her fingers were securely linked with Regina's, bright green eyes peering out from beneath thick lashes with a gaze that was all love and understanding.

"I forgive you. Okay?"

Regina's lower lip trembled just the slightest and her voice came out strained. "You shouldn't."

"You were under a curse."

"I've done it before," Regina said, trying and failing to sound cold. "Without a curse on me. I've forced people to do things they didn't want. I've forced _myself_ on others. Just because this time was unintentional-"

" _Regina,"_ Emma said again, halting the brunette's train of thought. "You're not the same person anymore. You don't do those things anymore. You've _changed._ I see it. I see _you_ , and I accept you, _all_ of you, even your past as the Evil Queen. It's what makes you who you are; the woman I love, the woman Henry loves. Why can't you see that too?"

Those green eyes were sad, almost pleading for her to understand. Her forgiveness didn't matter if Regina couldn't forgive herself.

"Emma…" Regina trailed off sadly, unsure of what to say, afraid to say the wrong thing. Emma sounded so sure of herself, how could she tell her that she was wrong? That some things never change?

Was she trying to be a good person? A hero? Someone who does the right thing? Yes.

Was there a part of her that took wicked pleasure in throwing Emma against a wall and pinning her to the bed despite the blonde's protests?

Gods, it was wrong, but it felt so good. The Evil Queen had relished in wielding her power over others, in commanding them body and mind. The Mayor had loved her power too, using fear to control the people. The Lust demon may have given her incentive to seduce Emma, but her actions had been entirely her own. She'd used it as an excuse to exert her will upon another - her own soulmate, no less - and the thought of it sickened her now. She was no better than Hook when he'd regained his severed hand and used it as an excuse to be the pirate he used to be.

"Hey, come on," Emma coaxed, fully aware that Regina was trapped in her own thoughts again. That troubled, clouded look in her dark brown eyes said as much. She grasped both of Regina's hands within hers and pulled the woman a little closer until their eyes met again. Slowly, as if afraid she might scare her off like a frightened animal, she leaned in until their lips brushed together, the softest of touches. Regina's breath was warm against her skin, sweet with a hint of peppermint. "I love you, Regina Mills."

Regina jerked back, looking at her like a deer in headlights. To blurt it out in the safety of her dark bedroom, surrounded by pixie dust that told them they were soulmates - that was easy. To say it in broad daylight when everything wasn't fine and dandy and she'd almost accidentally forced herself on the mother of her child - that was like a splash of cold water.

Emma, to her credit, just gave a wry little smile, never once loosening her grip enough for the brunette to pull away completely. Instead, she continued in the softest of voices, "I will love you until you learn to love yourself."

And then she leaned in and kissed her, a chaste kiss on the lips that left her skin tingling, before giving her hand a gentle tug and moving towards the door. "Come on, let's go back to Granny's."

With wet eyes and an aching heart - wondering just how in the world this woman could love her so freely and wholeheartedly - Regina tightened her fingers around Emma's and followed.


	13. Being Human

_David and Henry try to talk some sense into Regina. Meanwhile, the demons send a hoard of Hellbeasts after the heroes._

* * *

"Why are you sitting on opposite sides of the diner?"

"We're soulmates, mom, not conjoined twins. We're allowed to talk to different people."

"Except that she's been avoiding looking at you ever since you got back. I know her, Emma. Something's not right. What happened out there?"

"Just leave it alone, okay?"

"Emma."

Emma hesitated, her mouth hanging open as she was about to take a bite out of her sandwich. Mary Margaret was pinning her with a firm stare and David mimicked her. Under her parents' scrutinizing gazes, Emma sighed and put her lunch down, casting a quick glance across the diner to where Regina was sitting at the bar talking to Tinkerbell.

"We ended up fighting a demon. We caught it, but… We kind of had a… misunderstanding?" Emma shook her head. "Regina's still upset over it, even though I told her I didn't blame her for what happened."

David's brow furrowed. "What happened?"

Emma immediately held up a hand. "You don't want to know, dad."

Mary Margaret was frowning at Emma's hand, noticing a smudge of black against the blonde's fair skin alongside a few tiny cuts.

"When you said you two _fought_ the demon…"

Emma rubbed away the soot from the side of her palm. "We may have blown up the kitchen."

"Emma!"

"It's not a big deal. We're both fine."

Unhappily, Emma grabbed her sandwich and tucked in, hoping that would dissuade her parents from asking her any further questions. To her relief, Mary Margaret fell quiet and went back to sipping her tea. David drained his coffee and slipped out of the booth to pour himself a refill.

Sliding onto the stool next to Regina, David grabbed the coffee pot, slowly pouring it into his mug. Regina's head had tilted in his direction, an unreadable look on her face as she sighed and gave Tinkerbell a halfhearted smile.

"A moment, please," she said. The blonde fairy nodded and left them alone at the bar. "Charming."

"Regina." David dumped a spoonful of sugar into his coffee. "How are you doing?"

Regina finally turned in her seat to give him a skeptical look. "Why don't you ask me what you really want to know?"

He quirked a brow. "I _do_ want to know how you're doing, believe it or not."

"Not," came her stubborn reply. David sighed.

"Fine. My next question; what happened at the farmhouse?"

Red lips parted to snap out her answer, but stopped when she glared around the diner and reminded herself that her voice would carry. David gestured with a jerk of his thumb and moved off down the back hallway until they were around the far corner and out of earshot.

"If you hurt Emma-" he began, but Regina bristled and pierced him with another glare.

"I would never purposely hurt Emma."

David had his hands up in a placating gesture. "Everyone hurts the people they love eventually. What's important is that you acknowledge it and don't make the same mistakes again. I'm just saying that if you _did_ hurt Emma - by accident - I'm here if you need to talk."

There was a long moment in which Regina just gave him a look as if the man had sprouted a second head. When she finally found her voice, it was thick with disbelief.

"You're offering me _advice_ in my relationship with your daughter?"

"When you say it like that, it's weird," he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck. "It's just - Snow and I have been through a lot together, we've overcome every enemy and every curse that's ever been thrown at us. If you and Emma hit a bump in your relationship that you're struggling to get over, I think we could help. At the very least, it doesn't hurt to get some advice, right? We do know something about True Love."

He had this dopey smile of hopefulness on his face and Regina was only mildly tempted to smack it off of him. She was clearly going soft.

"As… _charming..._ as that is, I don't think you want to hear about what happened today."

"Try me."

For a moment, the brunette was caught in indecision. She didn't want to say it, didn't want to admit it out loud, didn't want to see the judgement on his face. But here was Prince Charming giving her his soft smile, so naive and sure that she was no longer the Evil Queen he'd once hated, and she loathed the fact that he so easily accepted her now because she was Emma's confirmed soulmate. As if that erased all of her wrongdoings in the past, as if it suddenly made her a good person with a pure heart. Regina's lips twisted into a cold sneered.

"Fine. The demon of Lust got us. I molested Emma, almost forced myself on her before True Love's Kiss broke the spell on me. What's your advice for that, Charming? Surely a year ago you would have run me through with your sword by now for almost _raping your daughter._ "

Regina just about spat out those last words, her voice turning bitter and hard, more out of shame and hatred of herself than anger at him. David had winced back from her aggressive tone but the betrayal she was expecting never came. He didn't draw his sword, didn't even look angry or furious with her. He lifted a hand and she automatically squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating a strike to the face.

His hand came down on her shoulder with a firm grip, causing her to jump and look at him.

"Did you want to - to force yourself on Emma?"

Weary, she met his steady gaze. "No."

"Did you intend on hurting her?"

Her answer was immediate. "No!"

"And did she forgive you for what happened today?"

"I… yes. But-"

"Regina," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Seems to me like the only one still upset about what happened is you, while Emma's sitting out there moping about how you won't talk to her. To feel guilty for it is a good sign, it means you care, but when everyone else has forgiven you, it's time to forgive yourself."

Suddenly uncomfortable, Regina shrugged off his hand. "You don't understand."

"Then help me understand."

"I _liked_ it. The power. Having control over Emma even when she said no. Pinning her down when she struggled. I don't _want_ to like it, but I do." Her dark eyes were nearly black. "What kind of person does that make me, Charming? Only monsters are like that. No matter how hard I try to change, to be better, I'm still the same person on the inside. I'm still the Evil Queen. Some things can't change."

Her voice had gone raspy, already resigning herself to her fate. She was, and always will be, the Evil Queen. David was looking at her with a strange sort of sympathy and she idly thought to herself that, were this the past, she would have snapped his neck by now. She'd never tolerated sympathy or pity - especially not pity.

But pity was the last thing David had on his mind.

Some people had a tendency to write him off as a thick-headed idiot (Regina had called him as such on many occasions) but he understood where she was coming from. It wasn't the violence or coercion that she enjoyed- it was the control. The power. The impulse to dominate a situation before someone else could dominate her, even if the threat wasn't there. He didn't know the ugly details of her life but he knew enough that he didn't blame her for having that fear, that knee-jerk reaction to even the _possibility_ of someone else having an upper hand against her. She'd fought so hard to get to where she was now in life, and the mere thought of regressing had her lashing out. Anger was easier to channel than fear, after all.

Emma had been similar when the first curse broke and they all regained their memories. He and Snow made the mistake of trying to establish them all as a family right off the bat - not to mention dropping the 'Savior' title on her like an impossibly heavy mantle - and she'd pushed them away and put up her walls because those were the habits ingrained in her. That had been her knee-jerk reaction to people imposing themselves on her life and trying to change who she was after an entire childhood of the same such suffering. She'd been afraid, and she reacted the only way she knew how to survive.

 _Knowing_ that one's self defense mechanisms weren't necessary was very different from _feeling_ safe enough not to trigger it.

"You know what that makes you?" David finally said, calm and quiet. Brown eyes stared at him, wordlessly awaiting his answer. "Human."

Regina barked out a soft, sad laugh. "If _that's_ considered human, I'd hate to know what kind of dark thoughts go on in other people's minds."

"We all have our darknesses, no matter how well we hide them or try to convince ourselves that they're not there." He gave a little shrug of his shoulder, his eyes gazing out at the empty alley next to the diner. The flowers planted outside under the windows were infested with weeds that crept up against the glass panes. "It's how we move forward with them that matters."

"Very insightful, Charming." Regina's voice didn't have quite the same bite to it. In fact, she sounded very, very tired. "I hate to be the one to tell you, but you're a terrible father if you're actually encouraging someone like me to be with your daughter."

"Or maybe you're just not as terrible as you seem to think you are. You're certainly not _evil_. Pixie dust wouldn't pair my daughter with someone who wasn't good for her." _And she's good for you, too,_ he thought, but he didn't say that aloud. He smiled and touched her shoulder as he slipped past her. "Just think about it."

Then he was gone. Regina sighed heavily, lifting a hand to rub at her temple where a headache was slowly creeping through her skull. Craving comfort, she pulled out her phone and called the most precious person in her world. He picked up after the first ring.

"Hey Mom." Henry's voice was like a balm on her wounds. Regina gave an audible sigh of relief, clutching the phone against her ear as she leaned on the wall next to the window.

"Henry." The amount of love and happiness in that one name could be heard even over the soft crackle of the phone. "How are you holding up?"

"We're okay. I just fed Neal one of his bottles and he's sleeping now. It's quiet here so I put on a movie and made a sandwich. How are you guys doing?"

"We're fine. We caught one more demon." She trailed off, chewing on her lower lip. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

Henry took the admission in stride. "It's good to hear your voice too, Mom. How's Ma?"

"She's fine." Another pause. She wondered if it would be inappropriate of her to confide in her son, _their_ son, about her and Emma's issues. Probably. She really needed more friends her own age. She thought vaguely of Katherine but wasn't actually sure of the blonde's whereabouts since the demons showed up a few days ago. Hopefully she was okay. "We're all fine."

He wasn't buying it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetheart."

"You don't sound okay."

"I'm just… tired, that's all."

"Did you and Ma fight again?"

"I see you inherited my bluntness." Another sigh. Regina pressed her thumb against her aching temple. "I did something bad."

When Henry didn't reply right away, Regina felt her heart jumping up into her throat with anxiousness. She squeezed the phone in her hand, listening to the faint sound of his breathing.

"What did you do?" No accusation in his tone. Not yet. Just concern.

Her heart hammered louder, pounding heavily in her chest and threatening to drop her if she didn't stick to the wall for support. "I hurt her." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "It was an accident."

She could almost hear Henry tilting his head to one side with confusion, a trait he'd inherited from Emma since birth. "But she's okay, right?"

"She's fine."

"Did you apologize?"

"Of course I did."

"And she forgave you." It wasn't even a question. It never ceased to amaze her how cut-and-dried children could be.

"Yes, but…"

"Mom, it was an accident. If Ma says she's okay then she's okay." When Regina didn't respond right away, he said, "You're blaming yourself."

When did her little boy become so observant?

"It's complicated, Henry." She didn't say any more, wasn't even sure what else she could say. Henry, bless his heart, didn't push her.

"You two will figure it out," he said instead. Regina could hear the smile in his voice. "You'll always figure it out. That's what soulmates do."

"You sound suspiciously like your grandparents."

"What can I say? I have the Charming gene."

Regina smiled wryly, shaking her head to herself and checking her watch. "I should go. I love you, Henry."

"Love you too, Mom."

By the time she returned to the diner's main area, everyone had finished up their meals and were getting ready to go, weapons strapped on and looking much more upbeat now that they were fed. Tinkerbell and Nova were reinforcing their protective spells on Ruby and Grayson, intent on making sure their two werewolf teammates didn't turn on them.

David caught her eye and sent her a warm smile. Regina just nodded curtly in response, his words and Henry's rolling around in her head like a tumbleweed bouncing back and forth with no destination in sight. Granny was just closing up the kitchen so she stood by the door to wait, glancing out the window with unfocused eyes, staring at nothing at all.

"Hey." Emma sidled up behind her, hovering close but not quite touching, a silent offer of personal space in case Regina wanted it. Regina turned around and hesitantly held out a hand, relaxing when Emma put her hand in hers and gave her a squeeze. "Did you have something to eat?"

She'd noticed Regina's absence - of course she had; her full name could have been "Emma _always sensing Regina's presence_ Swan" - but she knew better than to ask her about it. Regina smiled a little at her concern.

"Yes. Tinkerbell wouldn't even let me talk until I'd eaten."

Said fairy heard her name and glanced over with a quirk of her brow. "Well someone has to make sure you remember to eat. Quit slacking, Emma."

It was said in jest and Emma just grinned and stuck her tongue out at Tinkerbell, but when Regina wasn't looking she mouthed a silent 'thank you.' Tink smiled and nodded.

"Alright, everyone out," said Granny, herding them through the door so she could lock up. Emma did a doubletake, thinking she saw Ruby and Grayson's hands slip apart as they rejoined the group on the sidewalk, and tucked that thought away for later.

"Okay, what's the plan?" asked David, flashing his charming little smile and glancing between Emma and Regina. Unlike three years ago, Emma no longer shied from leadership. She had Regina's hand clasped within hers and her brows were furrowed as she pondered their next move.

"Uh, guys?" August's voice cut through the soft murmur of conversation, pulling everyone's attention to where the man was pointing down the street. The good news was that there weren't any citizens wandering about town. The bad news was that a pack of shadowy black hellbeasts were prowling towards them.

The creatures stood nearly four feet tall each, like mastiffs on steroids, hulking with muscle and with jaws large enough to crush limbs. Their bodies looked to be made of the same misty black substance as the demons, shadows trailing at their paws as they stalked closer.

"What the hell are those?" blurted Emma, feeling a shiver run up her spine. Regina stiffened next to her, clasping her hand a little tighter as the group shifted uneasily, unsure if they should stick close together or spread out.

"Behind us," said Mary Margaret, already drawing back an arrow as David unsheathed his sword. From the other end of the street, more hellbeasts approached like a shadowy tidal wave, lips pulled back over yellowed fangs and red eyes glowing in their black sockets.

"Is this all from one demon?" Emma summoned her magic until it buzzed through her body, and she felt Regina doing the same, their magic emanating outwards and brushing up against each other like familiar companions.

"I'm not sure," Regina admitted, frowning. Their group shifted until they were standing in two rows, back to back, half the group facing one pack and half facing the other, all weapons drawn. Regina found herself with Emma on her one side and Mary Margaret at her back. The pixie-haired brunette's elbow brushed Regina's spine as she drew back an arrow and let it fly.

Arrowhead met skull with a sickening crunch, sending a hellbeast staggering backwards with a loud grunt. It didn't kill it like Mary Margaret had hoped; in fact, it looked to be perfectly fine, if not annoyed by the stick protruding from its forehead. This spurred the rest of the pack into action. The beasts began loping down the street towards them from both sides, descending upon them like death. Grayson was the first to react, dropping to the ground with a hiss of discomfort that quickly gurgled into an animalistic snarl. Ruby followed suit immediately and the two werewolves burst from the line to meet the enemy head on.

"Ruby!" Granny swore under her breath, her crossbow clutched tightly in her hands and her eyes narrowed in concentration. Ruby and Grayson were a blur in the streets, a welcome distraction to keep the hellbeasts from overwhelming them but also making it much more dangerous to fire projectiles.

Mary Margaret had grabbed Leroy's spare short sword and now guarded Regina and Emma's back while David danced around a hellbeast, trading blows and deflecting every swipe of its massive paws with his blade.

A blast of wind whipped the immediate area as Regina unleashed Pandora's box, aiming the vortex at the nearest hellbeast. When its magical pull clearly had no effect on the very solid and very heavy creature, she closed the box with a grunt and shook off Emma's hand so that she could throw fireballs. Emma did the same, hurling orbs of silvery energy that knocked the beasts back but not much more. She was putting as much force into them as she could, imagining them punching through the creatures, but it didn't make her attacks any more effective or lethal.

"Emma!" She turned in time to have her father stumble into her after deflecting a hellbeast's claws that had clearly been meant for her back. Mary Margaret was doing the same for Regina, swinging fiercely at a creature that had come at them from the side.

Steadying her father with one arm, Emma threw an energy ball with her free hand, knocking the creature off its feet and onto its back. From the corner of her eye she saw Belle throwing something at it, and in a puff of smoke the creature was transformed into a cockroach. David hurried forward and crushed it beneath his boot.

"Thanks," David breathed out to both his daughter and Belle. Belle held up a vial in her hands.

"Thank Regina. She gave me fairy dust."

" _Dark_ fairy dust," Regina corrected between grunts of exertion, hurling fireball after fireball to keep the agile creatures at bay.

"Where did you get dark fairy dust?" Tinkerbell hollered from down the line.

"Why don't we save storytime for later?" Regina snarked back, giving an exasperated flip of her hair when her lengthy bangs got into her face. She coiled back her arm with another fireball at the ready when one of their werewolves tumbled in front of her, tangled up with a hellbeast and leaving smears of blood across the pavement. It took her a moment to recognize it as Grayson; he was all solid grey, while Ruby was a mixture of grey and white.

Grayson and the hellbeast went at each other like rabid dogs, a cacophony of snarling and yelping. As the demon creatures seemed incapable of feeling pain, she had to assume the yelps were from Grayson, and the constant smattering of fresh blood on the pavement didn't bode well for the man.

"Emma," she warned, motioning towards him before redirecting the fire in her hands at another nearby hellbeast. Emma readied a ball of energy in her hand but hesitated, furrowing her brows as the two beasts rolled around in a flurry of teeth and claws. She couldn't exactly aim while they tussled and she didn't want to blast them both, either.

Mary Margaret shoved her aside at that moment to get her out of the way as another hellbeast lunged, catching the brunette's sword between its jaws instead of the blonde it had been aiming for. "Concentrate on _everything_ around you," she grunted, almost patronizing. Emma blurted an apology before redirecting the energy ball in her hand at the beast and sending it flying. Her jaw dropped a little as her mother charged after it, sword at the ready, looking like a damn warrior.

 _Holy crap, Snow White._

Sure, she'd seen Snow White in action when she and Hook went back in time, but this was _Mary Margaret._ This was her shy, timid, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly roommate-turned-mother. Emma pushed the thought aside for later as she turned back to find Grayson with his teeth in the hellbeast's throat, swinging his head wildly in an attempt to behead the thing. He might have been successful, too, if another hellbeast hadn't jumped on him from behind, piercing its talon-like claws into his sides and clamping its jaws down around the back of his neck with a savage shake.

Grayson yelped, lost his hold on the beast below, and was immediately thrown sideways, landing in a heap beneath two attackers now. Emma shouted and flung an energy ball, hitting one square in the side and sending it tumbling away. The other was tackled away by a blur of grey and white fur. _Ruby._

Emma hurried to Grayson's side as the male lay sprawled out on the pavement, a low whine escaping his maw, his sides heaving as blood oozed from more puncture wounds than she could count. His neck had been torn open along the side where he'd been grabbed too. She swore under her breath, dropping to her knees next to him as he struggled to right himself. "Hey, don't try to move."

"Emma!" Ruby, in her human form, stumbled to the ground on Grayson's other side, out of breath and bloodied but otherwise alive and kicking. "I've got him. Keep the demons off us!"

Emma nodded grimly and stood, summoning up more of her inner magic and moving to defend her friends. Grayson was still writhing, his golden eyes wild and panicked and furious all at once. Ruby gripped the grey wolf's muzzle and tilted his head up to face her.

"Turn back, Grayson. You need to turn back."

His eyes locked onto hers, finding purchase there like a pocket of calm in a storm, and then his entire body was shuddering with his less than graceful transformation back into human form, bones popping and cracking, paired with a gasping cry of pain as his internal organs rearranged themselves within his injured body. Ruby held him down as he tried to curl in on himself.

"Breathe," she insisted, forcing him to lay back. Grayson gripped her wrist where it lay against his chest, his teeth clenched together as another half moan, half grunt escaped his lips.

"Damn, I forgot how much it hurts to get stabbed," he hissed, sweat already beading his forehead. Ruby gave a shaky laugh and wiped the sweat and blood from his temple.

"You look like an abused pincushion right now, you know that?"

He reopened his stormy grey eyes and held her gaze, a wry smile twisting his pale lips despite the pain he was in. "How bad is it?"

"Stop talking, will ya?"

"That bad, huh?" He laid a palm down on his side and winced. The deep punctures hurt, but it was the thick warm wetness soaking his shirt that concerned him. That was a lot of blood. "Go help your friends, Red. I think I'll just lay here a minute, catch my breath."

"Don't be stupid," she muttered, wringing her hands together as she looked him over and tried to think of what she could do. She didn't have anything to wrap him with. How could she stop the bleeding if there were so many wounds all over him?

"Red." He gripped her wrist to halt her fretting. "Go help your friends. You know how weak humans are, they need your help more than I do."

She tried to glare, but her eyes were wet. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

Grayson smiled and managed to lift a shoulder in a shrug. "You know me."

Ruby stared at him a moment longer, indecision in her eyes, then she morphed into wolf form and rejoined the fight. They had managed to kill a few hellbeasts, but more than half still remained, and now their people were being separated.

August was sprawled out on the pavement a few yards down the street, just barely keeping a hellbeast's teeth away from his face by jamming a nightstick across its jaws. Emma charged over, brought forth her magic and threw the creature aside with a vengeance, sending it sailing through the air.

"You alright?" She gripped his forearm and pulled him to his feet. August sucked in a few long breaths and retrieved his handgun from the ground.

"These are _not_ easy to kill," he said instead, bracing his feet apart and taking aim at the creature as it came back towards them. Emma winced and stepped back as he emptied his clip into its head. It seemed to slow it down, but still it lived.

At least until Leroy's axe came down and took its head clean off.

The body collapsed to the ground as the head bounced off the pavement and rolled. In another few seconds, its corpse melted into a puddle of shadows and then faded away completely. Emma gaped.

"Off with their heads!" Leroy shouted helpfully, and most of the others gave an appreciative grunt of acknowledgement. Regina scowled and shot him a filthy look for using one of her mother's infamous lines. Emma glanced over at the brunette to smile, but instead her eyes locked on the hellbeast charging up behind her.

"Regina!" She and Mary Margaret shouted at the same time. Mary Margaret was closer and flung herself in the way with the flat of her sword braced against her other hand, saving her from the beast's jaws. Instead it collided against her and Regina, sending all of them tumbling to the ground in a heap. Pandora's box clattered across the pavement as Regina knocked her head on the pavement with a grunt of pain.

A blast of light from Tinkerbell's wand sent the beast flying. David swooped in to lift Mary Margaret to her feet and then they were both checking Regina for injuries despite the brunette's agitated protests. Tink had gone after the creature with another blasting spell, so Emma moved to retrieve the fallen Pandora's box. Before she could, another hellbeast dashed in, snatched it up, and bolted.

Panic punched Emma in the gut and the next thing she knew she was sprinting after it, wildly flinging energy balls and watching the damned creature weave and dodge every one of them. She could hear her parents shouting after her but their words didn't register in her mind. All she knew was that they couldn't lose the box.

Something slammed into her from the side and knocked her clear off her feet. Emma cried out in alarm before she hit the ground, tucking her head under her arms and slamming painfully onto the pavement. The hellbeast landed atop her and then it was gone, dashing after the one with the box in its jaws. Disoriented, Emma rolled onto her back with a wince, hissing through her teeth. Her knees and elbows felt like they were on fire and her palms were already scraped and bleeding.

There were more shouts, then pounding footsteps. She opened her eyes to find August and Nova crouched over her, the former coaxing her into a sitting position while the latter grabbed her hands and immediately began a simple healing spell to her scrapes.

"I'm sorry, this is all I know how to do," Nova confessed nervously, brushing her fingers over the newly repaired skin on Emma's palms. Emma forced a smile despite feeling like absolute shit. The scrapes had been the _least_ painful of all her accumulated injuries today, but there was no use making the fairy feel bad.

"Thanks, Nova. August, help me up."

He hauled her to her feet, grimacing in apology as she hissed again. Every joint ached, and her body was already protesting the ridiculous amount of magic she'd used just throwing energy balls around. Clearly she needed to expand her magical repertoire.

"Regina," she called out breathlessly, hurrying back to where Regina was now on her feet surrounded on both sides by her parents. "They took Pandora's box."

"I know. I dropped the damn thing." She swore under her breath, swatting away David's hand as the man tried to give her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Damn it!"

"Hey, it's okay." Emma stepped forward, motioning for her parents to give them some space as she grabbed Regina's hands within hers. "We'll figure it out. At least they're gone for now."

"Well yeah, they only came here for the box," Leroy snarked. "Now they've got the box and we're screwed."

"Leroy," David chided, at the same time Mary Margaret said, "Grumpy!"

The dwarf grunted and shrugged his shoulders. Then, "I think you should all be more worried about wolf boy over there."

They turned all at once to find Ruby crouched over a motionless Grayson once more, tear tracks streaking her blood-smeared face. For a moment Emma feared the worst, but then she saw Grayson's chest rise ever so slightly with breath. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Regina," she breathed, fingers tightening around the brunette's. Regina gave her one look and then strode towards the werewolves, lowering to her knees next to them and casting her gaze over Grayson's battered body. A puddle of dark blood had already accumulated under the man's body, and had he been human, he would have certainly died by now. From the flutter of his closed eyelids, he was barely hanging on as is.

Regina grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, uncovering the extent of his injuries. Deep punctures lined his sides and gashes ran across his stomach, the flesh torn and oozing thick blood. The sides of his neck were scratched open too, though they were thankfully shallow and hadn't ripped an artery.

From behind, a few voices gasped as they saw the damage, and Nova had already succumbed to tears, but Regina ignored them. She glanced up to find Ruby leaning back with a soft sob, silently pleading with her eyes, _Gods, please, don't take him from me,_ and Regina recognized that look far too well.

She hovered her glowing hands over Grayson's wounds and did what she could.


	14. The Loudest Silence

_Everyone settles into the hospital for the night. Emma and Regina talk, and Ruby awaits news of Grayson's surgery._

* * *

The hospital was a blur of confusion. Half the staff were missing or already suffering a curse, while the rest desperately rushed around trying to keep the place running. There was an influx of people crowding the waiting room, citizens injured by others in scraps or fist fights. The smell of antiseptic was heavy in the air, as was the fog of tension keeping everyone on their toes.

Bursting through the doors was an unconscious Grayson on a gurney, Ruby on his one side and Regina on the other, her hand against his chest and her magic keeping him alive. A medic led them through the ER with Emma barking at people to get out of the way.

David, Snow, and Granny played bodyguard from behind and trailed after them further into the hospital as the rest of their group automatically moved to do damage control in the waiting room, explaining to the angriest of voices that this was a life or death situation. Stepping in for David as a second deputy, August took control of the crowd, with Leroy, Belle, and the fairies for backup.

Whale met them in the surgery room, already snapping on his gloves. There weren't enough personnel on hand to enforce the "stay out of the room" rule and Regina, Emma, and Ruby ended up in the middle of it, assisting the doctors with transferring Grayson onto the operation table.

"Everyone out," Whale demanded as soon as his assistant began hooking Grayson up to the machines. "All of you. We've got it from here."

Emma gently nudged a crestfallen Ruby towards the door, her lips pursed as Regina remained rooted to the spot. The doctor clearly had no desire to argue with the queen right now so he said nothing and allowed her to keep her magical hold on the man.

Once Ruby was safely in Granny's embrace out in the hall, Emma went back for Regina, finding the brunette gripping the operation table with her free hand while the doctors worked around her. Her knuckles were white and her expression pinched.

"Regina, we've got him stabilized, you can stop now," said Whale, casting a glance at the woman and actually looking somewhat concerned. When Regina didn't respond, he immediately turned to Emma. "She's going to burn herself out. We've got him stabilized, I promise."

With a nod, Emma reached over and clasped her hand over Regina's, her other arm wrapping around the woman's waist. "Hey, it's okay, you can stop now. They've got him."

A tremor ran through Regina's body, her muscles protesting from weakness and instinctively sagging against Emma. She'd been holding Grayson back from death's door for the past half hour, having had to transfer into the bed of David's truck and make the drive to the hospital. With all the chaos going on lately, an ambulance hadn't been available to retrieve them. Still, her hand remained atop Grayson's chest, a magic glow connecting them together.

Emma pressed her face in next to hers, lips against her ear, voice soft and reassuring.

"Regina, please stop."

The connection faltered and broke, and Regina's hand slid from Grayson as her knees finally buckled. Emma caught her with care, lifting her up off her feet and into her arms bridal style. For the second time that week, Regina wasn't conscious enough to protest.

Whale spoke up even as he and the other doctors went straight to work. "Nurse!" A woman hurried into the room from another door. "Have these two looked at immediately."

"Grayson-" Emma started.

"I'll let you know as soon as he's out of surgery."

"Don't let him die, Whale."

"I'm doing the best I can," he said seriously, sparing her a short glance. With a somber nod, Emma followed the nurse out. Her parents, along with Granny and Ruby, were waiting in the hall for them.

"Here," David offered, holding out his arms. At this point, everyone could see Emma's limbs shaking with tiredness. Emma relented, passing Regina over and finding herself immediately wrapped up in her mother's arms. Snow pressed a quick kiss to her temple before the group was ushered along by the nurse.

"I'm proud of you," she whispered, giving Emma's hand a squeeze.

"But I failed. I lost the box."

"You did the best you could, Emma, and that's all anyone can ask of you." Snow's lips tugged up into a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out. Together."

Too tired to argue, Emma just nodded and let herself be pulled along. The nurse set them up in a private recovery room with two hospital beds, one for Ruby and one for Regina. Emma sunk into a chair as Regina woke enough to swat the nurse away. Deciding to step in before fireballs started flying, David convinced the nurse to tend to Ruby's injuries first.

"You need to get looked at, Regina," he said quietly, hovering at her bedside.

"You hit your head pretty hard," Snow added, to which Regina curled her lip.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all. I don't need to get looked at." She stubbornly swung her legs over the edge to stand, hesitating only when Emma's hand came down on top of hers.

"Just lie down for a while," Emma said softly, tiredly. "Please."

"Emma, _we lost Pandora's box._ "

"I know. We'll get it back, I promise. But not like this."

She threaded her fingers around the brunette's, squeezing gently, her eyes begging Regina to cooperate for once. Unhappily, Regina settled back into the bed, wincing as the back of her head touched the pillow. Emma slouched over and rested her forehead atop their conjoined hands with a long exhale.

"How are you feeling, Red?" Snow sat on the edge of Ruby's bed, reaching out to grasp her hand as the nurse fussed over her wounds.

"Like someone's ripped my heart out of my chest and is squeezing it hard," Ruby admitted with a wobbly laugh. She leaned over to see past the nurse at Regina. "No offense."

Regina just waved it off. Ruby slumped back down, wincing as disinfectant was swiped over her wounds. She automatically relaxed when Snow's fingers squeezed hers.

"He'll be fine," the pixie hair woman said. "Like you used to say, _that jerk just won't die_."

Ruby tried to smile at the memory but couldn't quite bring herself to do it, instead dropping her chin to her chest. "Yeah, and the day I finally forgive him, he goes and gets himself skewered. I- I didn't even have the chance to tell him…"

"Hey." Snow jostled her hand until she looked up again. "He'll survive. And then you can smack him for being an idiot and tell him how you really feel."

If Ruby were in wolf form, her ears would have flopped. "Is it that obvious?"

"It was obvious even back when we were in the Enchanted Forest and you were ranting about wanting to strangle him," said Snow, snorting with amusement. Granny just huffed and rolled her eyes, keeping guard at the window with her crossbow cradled in her arms.

Over at Regina's bed, Emma felt herself drifting off with exhaustion. Her body was tired, everything hurt, and she just wanted to not think about the utter hellhole they were in right now. A hand stroked her head and she gave a soft hum, somehow knowing it was Regina's touch and appreciating the gesture.

"... 'Gina," she murmured in a sleepy rumble as a pleasant warmth spread through her body, relaxing her muscles and easing her aches. It took her a moment to realize the brunette was healing her, then she sat up abruptly, pulling away. "What are you doing?"

"Helping," Regina said blankly, her expression pinched. David furrowed his brows and Snow turned from Ruby to look at them questioningly.

"You're in no shape to be using magic right now, you're already burning yourself out."

"I just needed a minute, that's all."

"Says the one who passed out from exhaustion!"

"Emma, I'm _fine-_ "

" _Stop_ saying that." Emma ground her teeth together, jaws tightening. "Nurse, are you ready to check on her?"

The nurse had in fact been waiting on them, having already finished with Ruby, though whether or not she _felt_ ready to check on the once Evil Queen was a whole other matter. Still, she gave a professional nod and a stiff smile. Emma turned on Regina.

"You will sit still and let her do her job, or so help me…"

"You'll punish me?" Regina finished wearily. She had hoped Emma would crack a smile at the old reference, but the blonde just glared. Resigned to her fate, Regina sat motionless and cooperated as the nurse looked her over, flashing a penlight in her eyes and checking her vitals.

Emma and David left to get coffee from the machine down the hall, and since Granny was talking quietly to Ruby on the other side of the room, she was left with Snow White.

"You're worrying her," the pixie haired woman said, a frown marring her usually soft features. Regina sighed, averting her eyes as the nurse gently touched at the back of her head.

"I'm trying my best. It's not my fault if- oww!"

She winced away from the nurse's prodding fingers. The woman cringed just as badly.

"I'm so sorry, your Majesty!"

Regina stiffened at the title, her dark eyes narrowing under furrowed brows.

" _Madam Mayor_ ," Snow corrected, giving the nervous nurse a significant look. The woman nodded emphatically.

"Madam Mayor. I'm sorry. May I…?" She gestured at the back of Regina's head. After a moment of scowling, the brunette nodded. Fingers gently touched the base of her skull and moved their way down her neck. "Is it sore here?"

"Yes," Regina ground out.

"Any other symptoms bothering you?"

Regina opened her mouth with lies ready on the tip of her tongue, but Snow squinted at her. _Squinted_ at her as if she were dealing with a child and knew when she was being lied to, and Regina wondered when the hell their roles had become reversed.

"Headache," Regina muttered, her tone almost petulant. "Pressure in my skull. I feel slightly nauseated."

"You have a minor concussion," the nurse said, nodding along agreeably. "Nothing severe, you just need to take it easy for a while. I can have some medication-"

"No," Regina interrupted. "I don't need any. I just need to replenish my energy so I can heal it with magic."

"But-"

"No medication," Snow agreed, giving the nurse a quick smile. "Just bring her something to eat and drink?"

"Err… I'll be back with some protein bars and vitamin water, then," the nurse conceded, hurrying away. Regina sighed and gave Snow a grateful nod.

"Now where were we?" said Snow, in a light tone that said she wasn't letting this go.

The grateful nod turned into a scowl.

"Let it go, Snow."

The younger brunette frowned. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were punishing yourself."

Regina gave a scoff. "If I didn't know any better I'd say keeping that hideous haircut of yours is punishing yourself."

"The Häagen-Dazs comeback was cleverer," Snow muttered, recalling their old banter with some fond amusement.

 _If I didn't know any better I'd say you look smitten,_ she had once teased the Queen, back when Regina and Robin had still been together. Regina had sneered to hide her embarrassment and snapped back, _If I didn't know any better I'd say Häagen-Dazs is smitten with your stomach._ Snow had been eight months pregnant with Neal at the time, though, so she never took any real offense to it. It was pretty funny now that she thought back on it.

"Honestly, you're not a virginal school teacher, you _can_ grow your hair back out," Regina snarked. Snow rolled her eyes at that.

"Don't change the subject. I know you, Regina, and you've changed for the better, we all know that, but _this-"_ She waved her hands at the haggard state Regina was in. "This isn't you. This isn't a rational you. So what's going on?"

Regina glanced sideways to find Ruby and Granny not-so-subtly watching them. "What is this, an intervention?"

"I'd pull the curtain but they're werewolves, they'll still hear us." Snow shrugged.

"Absolutely not. I am not having this conversation with you."

Snow crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side. "Well, you're dating my daughter and for whatever reason you're punishing yourself and hurting her in the process, so I think we _are_ having this conversation whether you like it or not."

" _Hurting her?_ I was healing her!"

"And harming yourself. Your well being is just as important to Emma."

"I would have been _fine._ "

"You really need to stop using that argument," Ruby interjected. "No one likes to hear it. Doesn't matter if you'll be fine in the end, what hurts is seeing you suffer. You think I like seeing Grayson throw himself into harm's way just to prove to me that he deserves my forgiveness? I forgave him today and he _still_ played careless hero and got himself hurt. I have half a mind to kill him myself if he doesn't die on the operating table."

Despite the angry bite to her tone, her eyes were bright with tears again. Granny reached over to pat her granddaughter's hand as Regina averted her eyes and Snow lowered her head. Emma and David returned at that moment with coffees for themselves and for Granny and Snow.

Snow purposefully cleared her throat and gave Regina a _"this isn't over"_ look before she shuffled to a corner to talk with David.

"Where's the nurse?" Emma demanded, standing at the side of Regina's bed.

"She already checked me over, and she'll be back in a few minutes," was Regina's tired reply. With pleading brown eyes and a gentle pat on the bed beside her, she said, "Can you sit down?"

Grudgingly, Emma perched herself on the bed, nursing her coffee in her hands. She didn't even look up when a warm hand wrapped around her forearm.

"Emma, please," came the quiet request.

"What, Regina?"

"Please, just look at me."

Emma's eyes closed, her expression pinched. After a long moment, she finally turned to meet Regina's eyes, her own guarded and reluctant. Even in her anger and frustration, she looked hurt. Betrayed. Regina still couldn't quite fathom how her own well being could so greatly impact another. No one had ever cared that much before. She'd never gotten there with Daniel, Cora had never cared, her own father didn't care enough to protect her, even Robin hadn't been this upset when they thought they were soul mates.

There had only ever been Henry, and even his concern with her well being had changed during the time he'd believed her to be a villain.

And now here was Emma.

"I'm sorry," Regina whispered, her voice coming out a hundred times weaker and shakier than she had wanted it to, yet it seemed to change everything for Emma when her green eyes softened and her expression melted into one of immediate forgiveness. She always knew when Regina was lying, and this was as genuine as it got.

"For worrying me, or for punishing yourself?" she asked, exhaling slowly as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time.

"Both?"

"Regina."

"I'm trying, Emma. I really am."

Setting her coffee cup down on the side table, Emma took Regina's hands in hers, thumbs stroking across her knuckles. "I know. I just wish you would forgive yourself when I've already forgiven you."

"That's a little hard when I deserve it."

"That's exactly the problem: you don't. You think you do, but you _don't._ " Her fingers tightened around Regina's, giving her hand the gentlest of shakes. "We all make mistakes, and you've more than made up for yours. Prolonging your suffering hurts me too, you know. And haven't we all suffered enough?"

Regina wilted a little in place. "Don't say it like that."

"No more of this," Emma insisted, shifting closer. "I can't stand seeing you hurt."

"I'll still make more mistakes."

"So will I. That's what makes us human."

Regina gave a weak laugh. Emma sounded just like her father at that moment, so gentle yet sure of herself. It had to be the Charming gene.

"And when we do make mistakes," Emma added, leaning closer and lowering her voice, "we'll just have to find ways to make it up to each other."

"I… oh." She was suddenly lost in those beautiful green eyes, feeling Emma's warm breath against her face as she inched closer and closer.

"Can I kiss you now?" the blonde asked, her voice a whisper against Regina's lips.

"Yes."

It was slow and sweet, lips brushing tenderly against lips, their breaths mingling as they pulled back ever so slightly to press their foreheads together. Emma's hands gently rubbed up and down her arms in a comforting gesture and Regina all but melted in her soft embrace. She had never felt safer anywhere than in the savior's arms.

"Madam Mayor…?" a tiny voice squeaked. When they looked up, the nurse had returned, carrying a tray loaded with protein bars and bottles of vitamin water.

"Ah- thank you. Right over here is fine." Regina gestured to the side table. The nurse put the tray down and, after confirming that no one else in the room needed anything, made her escape. Emma lifted a brow at it inquisitively.

"I simply needed to replenish my energy so that I could heal this concussion." With a shrug, the brunette tore open a bar and took a bite.

"So you _did_ have a concussion!"

"Were we taking bets?" David joked, grabbing a bar for himself. Snow whacked her husband on the shoulder.

"Of course she'd have a concussion! She really hit her head hard."

"Well you did tackle me, dear," Regina grumbled. When the younger brunette squinted at her, she added, "But thank you for saving me."

Snow took a bottle of vitamin water and sat back in a visitor's chair, crossing one leg over the other. "You're welcome. Protecting each other is what family does."

Regina just took another big bite out of her bar to avoid responding, and everyone else settled down with some food and drink without complaint. _Baby steps,_ Emma had murmured reassuringly when Regina gave her an apologetic look afterwards.

When it became apparent that they would be waiting a while, they managed to drag in some extra cots from another room so that everyone could get some rest. August, Leroy, Belle, and the fairies rejoined them and they all took turns resting and standing guard. Regina and Emma slept the most in an attempt to fully restore their magic reserves, spooned together on a shared bed with their fingers entwined. Ruby bounced back and forth between sleeping and pacing the room, only ever sitting back down when Granny gave her a stern look. August and Tinkerbell took turns patrolling the hospital and the waiting rooms, just in case people started acting up, and Leroy had proclaimed himself Nova and Belle's bodyguard whenever the two women went down to check on Dr. Whale's progress.

"Anything yet?" David had asked when they returned for the third time that day.

"They're still in surgery," Nova had whispered, casting nervous glances to where Ruby lay sleeping in her bed.

"That's a good thing, isn't it? It means he's still fighting?" Belle had suggested hopefully, and the others just shrugged and hoped that she was right.

"Still quiet, like the calm before a storm," Granny said a few hours later, glaring out the window at the darkening sky when she felt Snow coming up beside her. The old woman hadn't put her crossbow down since they'd all left the diner after lunch, and that felt like so long ago.

"Do you think they've figured out how to release the demons from the box?" Snow asked, her voice low and uncertain. Granny just shrugged.

"Don't know much about that magic box other than the fact that it didn't do us much good against Pan last time. And I get the feeling these demons are far worse than Pan."

When night rolled around and Granny had no intention of leaving Ruby's side, Leroy and Nova volunteered to retrieve real food other than protein bars, returning a half hour later with chili and sandwiches from the hospital's cafeteria. Their late dinner was a quiet ordeal - no one wanted to discuss battle plans just yet, especially with Grayson still on the operating table - and once fed, they went back to sleeping or patrolling. Everyone was still tired and sore from the battle that afternoon and it was just easier to fall into a monotonous rhythm.

"How's your head?" Emma murmured, her voice rough from sleep. She and Regina had been drifting in and out of consciousness the past hour, waking up whenever one of them shifted in their sleep. They were too easily woken, their bodies instinctively on high alert, and yet they refused to sleep apart, finding comfort in each other's warm embrace.

"Just a dull throb," Regina muttered back, her eyes still closed as she pressed her back a little more firmly against Emma's chest. "I should heal my concussion soon."

"No rush. Go back to sleep." Emma nuzzled her face into thick dark hair, squeezing her arms gently around Regina's body before going slack again.

At some point in the night, a nurse arrived and whispered something to Granny, causing a frown to mar the old woman's face.

"Then take mine," she'd growled, to which the nurse shook her head.

"You can't Change anymore. It needs to be hers. She's young and strong."

Reluctant, Granny then shook Ruby awake. "Wake up, child," she murmured, holding her shoulders steady as the young brunette jerked into consciousness.

"What is it? Is it Grayson? Is he-?"

"They need werewolf blood," she said simply. Ruby gave a curt nod. Then she, Granny, and the nurse were gone. David and Snow took Granny's place at the window.

"David." Snow's voice was a soft whisper, her hand seeking his. He closed his fist around her smaller hand, tangling their fingers together. "What's going to happen?"

All at once he could see the fear and uncertainty in her green eyes, and for once, he thought his wife looked like Emma - like a lost girl. Their only weapon against the demons were gone, their new friend was lying at death's door, and everyone was tired and sore and hurting. He opened his arms and pulled her close, resting his chin against her head.

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice equally as low as to not disturb the quiet hum of their hospital room. "But whatever happens, we'll face it together."

He could feel her nodding against his chest, her face nuzzling into the worn fabric of his plaid shirt with a deep, steadying breath.

From Regina's bed, Emma listened to her parents' voices, though she remained motionless and with her eyes closed. Regina had drifted back into slumber shortly after healing her concussion and she didn't want to wake her by moving.

Fluorescent light spilled into the room as the door swung open - they'd all agreed to turn off the lights so that they could rest in relative darkness - and those still awake turned their heads to see Ruby and Granny re-enter, with Nova and Belle not far behind. There were fresh bandages on Ruby's forearms and she looked pale and withdrawn, so no one dared ask aloud the question on everyone's minds. Instead they waited, watching as Granny settled her granddaughter back down into her bed before Ruby finally spoke.

"He's out of surgery, but we can't see him right now. He's in intensive care." She didn't meet anyone's eyes, instead pulling the thin white blankets up to her hips and then hugging her knees.

"Oh, Red," Snow whispered, watching her friend wilt in place. "He'll be okay. Have hope."

Sleep came to most of them easier when midnight came and went. Granny finally agreed to sleep when August and Leroy returned to take up her post, one at the window and one at the door. Snow and David were curled together on a cot, Belle had dozed off in a visitor's chair, and Emma was sitting up talking quietly to Ruby when Dr. Whale stepped into the room at almost three in the morning.

"He's awake," Whale whispered, moving quietly to the end of Ruby's bed. "He's asking for you. Figured you'd want to see him right away."

Ruby clutched Emma's hand with both relief and anxiousness, and the blonde smiled at her to say _See? Told you he'd make it._

"Go on, Rubes, we'll tell Granny when she wakes up," Emma promised. Without another word, Ruby slid from her bed and hurried off after Dr. Whale.

Regina rolled over once the door swung shut and cast their room in darkness once more.

"Come back here," she murmured sleepily, patting the spot next to her. Emma gladly climbed back into the bed, wrapping an arm around Regina's waist as the brunette snuggled into her side with her head nestled against Emma's chest.

From the corner of the room, August stifled a monstrous yawn.

"Get some sleep, Booth," Emma rumbled, jerking a thumb at the now unoccupied second bed. August rubbed at his eyes.

"Nah. Gotta keep watch, or Granny will have my hide."

"I'll take over, you sleep," Tinkerbell said, elbowing him aside from his perch at the window. She'd napped enough in the past few hours, and Leroy and Nova had the door covered. Too tired to argue, August promptly collapsed into the empty bed and fell asleep.

* * *

The intensive care ward stunk of death and antiseptics. Ruby wrinkled her nose as she followed Whale down the hall, trying to keep her stomach contents down. Death had a very peculiar scent and this ward had certainly seen its share of patients who didn't make it.

"He's in here." Whale stopped and motioned to a door. "With the help of your blood, I imagine his body should be able to start healing itself again soon. Still, he's in a precarious state, so try to keep this short, alright? He needs to rest."

Ruby nodded slowly. Her neck was stiff and all the short naps she'd taken since they arrived had made her sore and groggy. "Thank you, Dr. Whale."

She hadn't noticed the bags under his eyes until now. The man had operated on Grayson for hours and looked ready to collapse from exhaustion himself. He ambled off down the hall, leaving Ruby to carefully crack open the door and poke her head inside. "Grayson?"

"Hi." Grayson was grinning at her from where he lay prone in a hospital bed, wrapped up like a mummy with tubes sticking out of his forearms. He looked unnaturally pale even in the dim light, and from the rings around his eyes and the slight quiver of his chin, he was barely staying awake as is. Still, he grinned. "Told you I just needed to catch my breath."

A small sob escaped Ruby, immediately followed by hot tears trailing down her cheeks as she shuffled into the room and closer to his bed. "You're such an asshole."

"You know me." He chuckled, but the warm sound stopped and turned into a grunt as his face twisted with pain. Ruby was at his side in an instant as he sucked in a breath between his teeth. "Guess I won't be laughing for a while."

"Does it hurt a lot?" she whispered, her gaze trailing sadly over the thick swaths of gauze wrapped around his body. She still remembered his bare flesh, torn and shredded, blood everywhere. The thought sent a shiver up her spine.

"I can handle it." He carefully turned his hand over, palm up, expression hopeful. His lips pulled into a smile as her hand settled in his, fingers entwining. "Everyone else okay?"

"They're fine. You were a heck of a distraction out there, you know."

"So were you. We make a good team, huh?"

"Yeah we do. Except when you play hero and get yourself hurt."

He grinned. "Hey, I hadn't Changed in thirty years, cut me some slack for being rusty."

"I should've had your back." Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her head some. "If I'd been paying attention, that other one wouldn't have snuck up on you."

"Hey, no, Red," he said, squeezing her fingers. "That ain't your fault. You're right, I should've been more careful instead of playing hero. I'm sorry."

Ruby chuckled softly, swiping away the wetness from her cheeks. "Another apology? Who are you and what have you done with the real Grayson?"

"Hey, I'm capable of apologizing." He feigned a pout, then sobered. "But, honest, I am sorry. For this and for- well, you know. Everything back then."

"I know." Ruby gently grasped his hand with both of hers. "I forgive you. So stop doing stupid things, okay? I actually _want_ you to stay alive."

"As you wish."

She looked up to find him smirking at her, his stormy grey eyes alight with mirth. "Are you quoting a line from a movie at me?"

"Maybe."

"God, that's so weird. I haven't seen you since the Enchanted Forest." She shook her head, laughing softly. "And you're so much older now."

"Hey, it's not my fault you were frozen in time," he said, feigning insult. "Besides, I'm in my prime, especially now that I've got my wolf back. Didn't you always say you liked older men?"

"I may have." Ruby smiled, stroking her thumb against his hand. "You should sleep, Grayson."

His expression softened, eyelids drooping. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will." She leaned forward to place a soft kiss to his forehead, and when she sat back, he was already drifting off into unconsciousness again. "Always."


	15. Eye of the Storm

_The team heads back to the Mills' mansion to regroup, and Henry enjoys a moment with his quickly expanding family._

* * *

"Hey." A low, husky rumble. Emma blinked sleepily, green eyes locking onto brown.

"Hey," Emma replied, a smile tugging at her lips. She shifted forward to press a kiss to the tip of Regina's nose, feeling the brunette shift against her with a contented sigh. Late morning sunlight poured in through the window and everyone felt far more rested now.

Nova and Belle had gone to check on Grayson and Ruby earlier, returning with the good news that Grayson was stable and recovering well. Everyone slept much easier through the rest of the night, though Granny had caused a bit of a ruckus when she insisted on standing guard in the intensive recovery wing to keep an eye on her granddaughter - eventually the stubborn woman got her way, after treating the reluctant Dr. Whale like he was a toddler and not a fully grown man. He'd made himself scarce after that.

A soft, rumbling sigh escaped the blonde as she tucked her head down and burrowed herself a little further into the warm arms that encircled her. Regina rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. "We should get up," she murmured, shifting to glance around the room and take stock of their surroundings.

August spoke quietly to Tinkerbell as they kept watch at the window, Leroy was asleep on a cot with his head pillowed on Nova's lap, and Belle sat curled up in an armchair in the corner, idly flipping through an old book. The Charmings had left fifteen minutes earlier to bring back food from the cafeteria.

"Five more minutes," Emma mumbled, burying her face against Regina's shoulder. The brunette hummed in agreement and stroked her blonde hair, her other arm snugly wrapped around Emma's waist, their shared body heat contained within their cocoon of blankets.

Before Emma, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt safe and happy in another's embrace. Regina had never had a reason to stay lounging in bed once she woke, not when she always woke alone, but she found herself content to stay snuggled against the blonde for as long as she was wanted. Emma's fingers were gently curled into her now-wrinkled shirt and her breath was warm and steady against her collarbone, teasing at her skin.

"We should call Henry," Regina murmured, eyes fluttering shut as she rested her chin atop Emma's head. Emma made a sound of acknowledgement but didn't move, even when footsteps and the creak of the door heralded Snow and David's return.

"Breakfast," David announced, sounding much more chipper now that he had a cup of coffee in hand. He and Snow had their arms full of take-out bags after coercing the cafeteria workers to pack food for them - not that it took much persuasion once the cooks realized they were the only people doing something about the town's demon problem.

"Up and at 'em, we've got a big day ahead of us," said Snow, moving to Regina's bed to nudge the two awake. Regina reached back to swat away Snow's hand where the younger brunette was poking her on the hip.

"Five more minutes," Regina growled at her, and Snow's brows disappeared beneath her bangs in surprise. She liked to think she knew Regina quite well, and last she checked, _five more minutes_ had never been part of her vocabulary.

"Kay, fine, we're up," Emma warbled, lifting her head and blinking up sleepily at her parents. Snow and David exchanged a vaguely amused look as the Queen and the Savior slowly untangled from each other's embrace and got out of bed. Regina still looked grumpy at the interruption, while Emma was oblivious to it all, more interested in the smell of hot breakfast wafting from the bags David was opening up.

"Food?" she said, bumping up against David's shoulder. He chuckled, digging out an egg-and-sausage breakfast sandwich and offering it up to his daughter before kissing her affectionately on the temple. She had his appetite and his appreciation for food, and he adored that to no ends.

Hot food and coffee was the best way to start a day, it seemed, and soon everyone was milling closer for some sustenance, chattering softly and looking more lively. Emma woke up enough to banter with August, and Leroy was already wolfing down his second sandwich.

"Regina?" David held out a sandwich to her, smiling with success when she accepted it. Everyone knew the mayor avoided greasy foods like the plague so it was nice to see her partaking in the group breakfast, even talking with Belle and Tink as they sat around in visitor chairs.

"Should I bring some down to Granny, Ruby, and Grayson?" Nova offered after she'd polished off her breakfast. Leroy jumped up to go with her.

"Actually, we should bring Granny and Ruby back up here," said David. "We need to hold council."

"Yes, a round table in a hospital room," said Regina, sarcastic. "How quaint."

"What about Grayson?" Emma added.

"He needs to rest. Whale made it clear that he wouldn't be fighting with us anytime soon. Granny and Ruby should be a part of this discussion."

"What is there to discuss? We need to get the box back. It's simple, just not easy." Regina sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed, Emma sitting closely next to her with a supportive hand resting on her lower back.

It was a wonderful feeling, to have someone who just automatically supported you and offered comfort without question, not out of duty or necessity but simply because they wanted to. Robin had done so back when he was still around, and for a while it was nice to be loved and taken care of - but it just wasn't the same. His touch had been a temporary comfort, the touch of a man who was told he was her soulmate because of his tattoo - nothing like the stable protectiveness of Emma's caress. Emma, who had always been there for her, always concerned, always hovering, yet never daring to cross that line and touch her. Not until now. Regina instinctively leaned in against Emma's side, craving more of the touch she had been denied for so long. Emma's fingers absently trailed up and down her spine in soft, tender touches.

"So what do we do? Attack them until they lose their physical forms again?" David sat on a cot with Snow, nursing a cup of coffee and looking hopeful.

"Are you forgetting about the demon dogs?" Leroy asked, skeptical. "We can beat up the demons, sure, but those dogs are nasty. Pretty sure they still outnumber us."

"And we might not have even won today if they hadn't run off with Pandora's Box," August added, his brows scrunched up as he frowned. "We've never fought anything like them before."

"You've barely fought anything at all, puppet," Regina sassed. "But now that we know about them, we'll be prepared. Emma and I are powerful when we combine our magic, so that's what we'll do next time." To Emma, she said, "Ready for another magic lesson, Swan?"

Emma's response was an immediate grin.

"Not _here?"_ said Snow, quirking a brow at them. "We should go back to the house first. I want to check on Neal, and Henry surely misses you both by now."

"That's a good idea," David agreed. "I'll go talk to Granny and Ruby."

* * *

Once discharged from the hospital, the group walked back to Mifflin street on high alert, worried about another attack. Without Pandora's Box in their possession, however, it seemed the demons had no more interest in them, and they arrived at the Mills house unbothered. Granny and Ruby had rejoined them after Grayson insisted that he would be fine, though he did relent to Ruby's demand that he text her every few hours to prove that he was still alive.

 _I'm already recovering, Red. I'm not going to just drop dead,_ he'd insisted, looking amused. Ruby had given him a withering stare until he gave up and made a show of keeping his cellphone on the bedside table.

"How's the barrier looking?" David asked as they headed up the path. Regina reached the barrier first, settling a hand against the faintly shimmering light.

"Holding strong against the demon influence." The group headed through, with Regina pausing to reinforce it from within before they ambled into the house. Henry met them at the door, looking frazzled but relieved to see them, and immediately passed Neal over to Snow and David before hurling himself at his mothers for their three-way hug.

"Mom! Ma!"

" _Henry,"_ Regina breathed out, pressing her cheek to his head and tightening her arm around his quickly broadening shoulders. Emma's arm landed over hers and squeezed them both, happy to have them in her arms together.

"Hey, kid," Emma murmured, taking in a deep breath of his familiar shampoo and feeling his lanky arms wrap fully around them. Just as quickly as it had happened, he pulled back from them, nose crinkled and a frown tugging on his lips.

"Were you at the hospital?"

Emma and Regina exchanged a concerned look, not having wanted to worry him with that information. Especially considering that everyone was fine.

"How did you-"

"You smell like the hospital," he said, voice lowering. Of course he knew what the hospital smelled like. He'd died there once, when he was ten and right before Emma had broken the first curse. The smell of antiseptics and death are impossible to forget. "Are you both okay? Is anyone-"

"We're all fine, Henry, I promise," Emma insisted, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Let's head inside first, okay?"

They all ended up in the kitchen again, somehow, brewing pots of coffee and tea as Snow tended to Neal and the others caught Henry up on what had happened. Regina still looked less than impressed with the War Council happening in her precious kitchen but kept amicably quiet, busying herself with occasionally readjusting Henry's collar or smoothing down his wild hair- and bless his heart, he just smiled and let her.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked once they'd finished relaying everything, with that eager smile of his that he usually sported right before naming an Operation. Emma chuckled.

"Your mom's going to teach me some magic so that we can handle those hellbeasts. And then we get Pandora's Box back and kick some demon ass."

"Emma," Regina warned, squinting at the blonde who immediately amended her comment with:

"-butts. Demon butts."

"I'm thirteen, Mom, not a baby," Henry complained, to which Regina just shook her head a little and smiled before beckoning for Emma.

"Let's go, Emma. We've got work to do. We can practice in the backyard."

"What should we do in the meantime?" David asked as the two women moved for the back door.

"Entertain yourselves without destroying my house," was Regina's sarcastic response before the two women left. David blinked, then leveled his eyes on his grandson who simply shrugged.

"We could play some video games while we wait," he suggested, moving towards the family room. "I got to level fifty eight at Castle Defense last night."

And with that, David, August, Leroy, and Tinkerbell hurried off after the teenager. Snow sat at the counter with Belle, Ruby, and Nova, shaking her head a little.

"Men- and Tinkerbell," she sighed.

"At least they'll be occupied for a while." Ruby shrugged, eyes glued to her phone as she texted Grayson back. Granny leaned against the sink as she bobbed Neal in her arms, fawning over the little prince with all the adoration an experienced grandmother could muster.

* * *

The backyard was brightly lit by a clear, colorless sky, the air cool and nippy against their exposed skin. Regina readjusted the collar of her petticoat around her neck before taking up a position in the middle of the yard and giving Emma a perusing look. The blonde had summoned a change of clothes from the Charming household and now stood before her in an off-white turtleneck sweater under her red leather jacket, paired with her usual jeans and knee-high boots. Regina tilted her head some, missing the look of her borrowed dress shirt on Emma's lean form.

"So, what am I learning first?" Emma asked, grounding her feet shoulder-width apart and shaking out her arms as if preparing for some sort of physical exercise. Regina chuckled.

"Not the Olympics, for one. Magic is emotion, Emma. You need to ground yourself, mentally and emotionally, to properly channel your abilities."

"Says the one who used to rile me up to kickstart my magic." Emma quirked a brow, grinning.

"Would you prefer I insult you and call you a pathetic waste of ability again?" Regina sassed back.

"Nope. I like the nicer way. Are you gonna teach me magic with good emotions? Kickstart my magic with a kiss?" The dimples were back, along with a playful glint in those green eyes. Regina rolled her dark eyes, resisting the urge to smile despite how cute the blonde was being.

"Not when your mother is watching us from the kitchen window, dear."

"What?" Emma whipped her head around to find that her mother was indeed peering out the kitchen window at them, all big green doe eyes and curiosity. Belle and Granny seemed to do the same, though more subtly. "Oh. Well, that puts a damper on things."

"Focus, miss Swan," Regina chuckled, ignoring Emma's immediate scowl as she summoned a row of targets to appear on the far side of the yard. As a precaution, she added a separate barrier around her precious apple tree on the chance that Emma accidentally directed a destructive spell at it. The poor thing had already been attacked by a chainsaw, it'd had enough trauma for a lifetime.

"Now," she said, motioning at the targets. "Destroy them."

"If it's the last thing I do?" Emma teased, but quickly dropped her smile and went to work when Regina squinted at her. She summoned up a familiar energy ball in her hands and made to throw it when the brunette cleared her throat.

"You'll need something more lethal than a ball of air, dear. We're aiming to kill the hellbeasts, not knock them around."

"But this is the only thing I know how to conjure," Emma murmured, brows knitting together. "I've tried making fireballs like yours but it's never worked for me."

"Of course not; fireballs are _my_ thing." Regina smirked. "But your energy- you can temper it, make it more concentrated."

When Emma gave her a blank look, she pointed at the target again.

"Throw your energy ball. Watch."

Obeying, Emma hurled the ball of energy in her hand at the target with as much gusto as she could. The targets were staked deeply into the ground, thus it hardly moved when the energy ball hit it, simply shrugging off the blow with the smallest of shakes. Emma grimaced.

"Alright, not so effective," she conceded.

"Now make another one. A stronger one." Regina moved up next to her, settling her hand around Emma's wrist and coaxing her palm upright. The blonde once again conjured a ball of energy in her hand, the only type of energy that ever came at her call. Not fire or water or even a spark of electricity- just air. Pure, clean air, whipping about in a confined orb.

Regina's fingers tightened just a little around her wrist, her skin warm with the whisper of magic. "Temper it, Emma. Your magic is more powerful than you know; you just need to give it direction. Concentrate."

The wind within the magical orb whipped faster, fiercer. Emma willed it to grow, felt the flow of energy thrumming along her arm, hot and cold at the same time, powerful yet comforting. The orb grew until it was nearly the size of a basketball, a miniature hurricane in the palm of her hand.

"Good," said Regina, gently releasing her wrist and stepping back. "Now try it."

Emma aimed at another target and threw. Part of her still expected to see the same result… the other part was shocked when her attack shattered the target, leaving nothing but a broken stump in the ground where it had been staked in.

A whoop of excitement not unlike that of an excited fan watching a sports competition sounded from the kitchen windows. Both women turned in time to see Snow bounce on the spot before blushing and clamping her hands over her mouth.

"Very good," Regina praised, disregarding their audience. "Again."

They spent the next half an hour honing Emma's energy ball attack until she could summon the miniature hurricanes on a whim. By the time Regina deemed her ready to proceed, the yard was covered in shards of wood and straw, the shattered remains of all the targets Regina had conjured. She cleaned up the debris with a flick of her wrist and a toss of her hair.

"Well done. Now-"

"Do I get a reward?"

Regina paused, pursing her lips. "What?"

"You said I did well. Do I get a reward?" Emma grinned, hands in her back pockets as she rocked on the soles of her boots, her cheeks deeply dimpled. Regina lifted a brow.

"And what kind of reward, pray tell, do you expect to receive while your mother watches us?"

Snow was indeed still enthralled by their magic lessons, now seated on a bar stool by the kitchen window with a mug of tea in hand. Emma chuckled.

"How 'bout a kiss?"

"Miss Swan…"

"Just one kiss, Re-gi-na…"

The brunette seemed to consider it. As final incentive, Emma added with a nod in her mother's direction, "I think she's using your china teacup."

 _Oh no she did not._ _She should know better than to use my china!_ Regina seized Emma by the collar of her jacket and pulled her in roughly, crushing their lips together in a kiss. She could feel the blonde's arms immediately curl around her waist, drawing her in just a little closer, bodies pressing together.

A startled squeal could be heard from the kitchen window, followed by a loud guffaw that was clearly Ruby laughing at Snow's expense.

"You sure showed her," Emma murmured, her eyelids at half mast as she grinned against Regina's lips. The brunette just hummed before kissing her again, this time slower, a gentle and tentative meeting of soft lips and probing tongues. The blonde's fingers slid up along the firm tendon of Regina's neck, to the base of her head and then up her scalp, weaving into thick dark hair with the gentlest of tugs, urging her head back so that she could more thoroughly explore her mouth. The brunette was thankful that she'd opted for shorter heels today, easily melting into the taller woman's embrace with her head tilted up at the perfect angle, a low rumble of approval vibrating in her throat as Emma nipped at her lower lip. Her fingers remained curled into the worn leather of Emma's jacket even as they came apart for air, foreheads pressed together, noses brushing intimately.

"Satisfied with your reward?" Regina murmured huskily, tongue darting out to lick at her lips. Emma gave a soft groan.

"I wish the house wasn't full of people right now."

The brunette chuckled, trying not to think too hard on the insinuation. "Magic lessons, Emma. Focus."

"Mm," the blonde huffed, stepping back and away from the temptation that was Regina Mills. She chanced a glance over her shoulder to find Snow peeking shyly out the window at them, giving a wave when she realized she'd been spotted spying. "She's taking this all surprisingly well."

"Your mother is full of surprises," Regina snorted.

"Glad I got to avoid the whole _coming out to the parents_ thing, at least."

"Oh, don't hold your breath. I'm sure she's got a closet full of Pride flags, rainbow banners, and unicorn stickers just waiting for you when things calm down."

Emma scrunched her face, caught between touched that her mother could be prepared for such a thing, and mortified that she'd _actually_ spring that on her. "Yeah, I hope not."

"At least she supports your life choices," Regina said, _tsking_ softly as she conjured up more targets for them to work with. She didn't even want to imagine what could have happened if she'd ever brought up her own sexuality when she was still under her mother's thumb. She'd likely have more scars on her person. "I'm not sure _my_ mother would have reacted so favourably."

"Sorry," Emma murmured, shuffling her feet a little and shoving her hands into her back pockets again. From all that she'd heard, Cora accepted only the best for her daughter. Regina did end up marrying a king, after all. "I guess she wouldn't have approved of me."

"On the contrary," the brunette's lip lifted in faint amusement. "I think you proved to be quite a challenge to her, and my mother enjoyed a good challenge. She wouldn't have liked me being with a woman at all, of course, but… If it had to be a woman, I think she would have accepted you."

"That's a frightening thought." Emma gave a dry chuckle. "Cora, approving of me."

"She did cherish power, and you _are_ the Savior."

"Think she would have given me her blessing?"

"Her blessing? For wh- oh." The _oh_ left Regina's lips in a breathy exhale as dark eyes widened in realization. Then she blinked and averted her gaze, feeling suddenly skittish. It was far too soon for that topic to come up, and she wasn't going to let Emma linger on it. Not yet. Not now. "Well, we'll never know. Come on, let's get back to work."

Pursing her lips in a bit of a grimace, Emma nodded her agreement, turning to fully face the newly conjured targets across the yard. It was too soon, certainly, but she'd hoped for some sort of favourable reaction from Regina at least, if even just an acknowledgement that it would eventually be brought up. They were soulmates, after all, linked by destiny or fate or whatever the hell it was that pixie dust worked off of. Didn't that guarantee their relationship? Wasn't marriage an obvious part of their future together?

She looked up, met Regina's dark eyes, and a memory of the brunette's voice echoed within her mind, as clear as the day Regina had first said it to her.

 _And don't you ever dare push that soulmate bullshit onto me ever again._

The flicker of expectation - of _entitlement -_ she felt just a moment ago was squashed immediately, because damn it, she would not make that mistake again. She couldn't fall back on the soulmate excuse every time she thought of their relationship, because they were so much more than that and Regina deserved to be treated as such. To be respected and cherished and loved, to be given the same amount of time and effort and dedication as any other budding relationship, "soulmate" status notwithstanding. She wouldn't repeat Robin's mistakes and simply _expect_ a perfect, established relationship. She had to earn it.

"Hey," she said, catching Regina's attention before the brunette continued with the lesson. "When this is all over… can I take you out on a date?"

"I... a date?"

"Yeah. Just you and me. Maybe we can try out Tiana's new restaurant?"

And just like that, the subtle tension in Regina's face disappeared, her brows raised and her lips parted in surprise. Brown eyes locked onto green ones and conveyed a sense of relief and gratitude without having to exchange a single word. Outwardly, she gave an almost shy smile and said, "I'd like that."

"Okay," Emma said, cheeks dimpling with her puppy-like grin.

They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing some new spells in which they combined their magic, working in tandem to move or attack targets in the yard, and learning to throw up physical barriers of pure energy that would come in handy during a battle. At some point Snow came out with water bottles and snacks for them, refusing to leave until both women had a protein bar each. ("I know you haven't eaten since breakfast," Snow had insisted, quirking a brow at Regina. "And Emma's not the only one who's noticed your unhealthy diet of coffee whenever you're stressed." Regina didn't even have a retort for that, so she grudgingly ate a bar to appease the pixie haired brunette.)

As late noon crept towards evening, Emma dropped to the ground with a dramatic puff of air, her chest rising heavily with each breath. Her jacket had been discarded hours earlier and every inch of her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat. Her sweater, jeans, and hair were drenched.

"I thought you said this wasn't the Olympics," she huffed.

"It's not my fault you tense up every muscle in your body when you use your magic," Regina smirked, sitting down gracefully at the base of her apple tree. She was warm and tired, but hadn't broken a sweat. "Eventually it will come second-nature to you, and then you won't tense up and wear yourself out anymore."

"I'll be lucky if I ever look half as graceful as you do," the blonde grumbled, dragging herself across the grass to be nearer to the other woman as Regina chuckled. Emma rolled onto her back, feeling soft blades of green crumple beneath her shoulders, likely staining her off-white sweater. Her head was next to Regina's thigh and she grinned up at her before her eyes drifted to the bright red fruits hanging in the tree branches overhead. The apple tree provided ample cover from the setting sun.

"Your apples are literally the best I've ever tasted."

Regina's eyebrow reached a record breaking height. "Is it a talent of yours, saying things that can be inappropriately construed?"

"You're the one with your mind in the gutters, Madam Mayor," Emma laughed. Regina reached down to flick her on the nose, prompting Emma to close her eyes and tilt her head up until she bumped against the brunette's thigh. Her cheeks were now deeply dimpled thanks to the smile splitting her lips. "How come you never magicked it?"

Leaning back against the tree trunk and resting her eyes, Regina asked, "Magicked what?"

"Your apple tree. The branch I cut off. How come you never fixed it once you had your magic back?"

"Oh." Regina hummed under her breath, absently stroking her fingers through Emma's golden hair where her head was still pressed up against her thigh. "I left it there as incentive to stay angry at you."

Emma's head shifted. Regina cracked open an eye to look down at her. "What?"

"You had a hard time staying angry at me? Even back then?"

"Your continued presence in Henry's life was reason enough for me to be angry, but I'll admit, you had your charms."

Emma smirked. "So, if we hadn't been fighting over Henry, you'd have fallen for my charms?"

Regina smiled faintly, stroking Emma's hairline until the blonde's eyes drifted shut again. "I might have," she murmured, and Emma just smiled a little wider in response.

"What about now?" Emma asked after another long moment of quiet. "The tree branch, I mean."

"I don't see a reason to fix it now," Regina admitted, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "It's been there for the past three years. Besides, it reminds me of you."

Emma's body shook with her laugh. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Well, let's just say I won't complain if I see you in a tank top with a chainsaw again... Just not anywhere near my tree."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Mom! Ma!" Henry's voice called out across the yard, prompting both women to lift their heads and smile warmly in their son's direction. "Grandma and Granny are thinking of starting dinner, and want to know if they can use the stove."

Regina's expression turned deadly. "Absolutely not!"

"Oh, shit." Emma scrambled up, offering her arm to Regina. "Don't let them do that, kid! Tell them to wait for us!"

Regina grabbed Emma's bicep - momentarily impressed at how wonderfully muscular the blonde was - and let Emma haul her up to her feet. "For _us?_ I don't trust you in my kitchen any more than I trust Snow in my kitchen!"

"Hey, I know how to cook!" Emma pouted.

"Microwaving frozen food doesn't count as cooking, dear."

"Mom!" Henry had this big, apologetic grin on his face as he leaned out of the back door, like he was sorry but also finding it all terribly amusing. "Grandma's already preheating the oven!"

" _Snow!"_ Regina shouted, hurrying towards the house. Emma snatched her red leather jacket up from the ground and hurried after her.

"Henry, you grab your grandmother, I'll hide the kitchen knives."

"Oh, no," Regina called over her shoulder, "You're heading upstairs to shower off the sweat and grass stains."

"Can you refrain from killing my mother in my absence?"

"I make no promises."

" _Reginaaaa!"_

As his mothers rushed past him and into the house, Henry grinned, leaning against the back door and watching them go. There was an outburst of voices from within the kitchen; his brunette mother freaking out, his grandmother insisting that she knew what she was doing, his blonde mother hollering about cooperation. The men were wisely staying out of it, having taken over Henry's video game controllers, but Tinkerbell and Ruby were joining in the kerfuffle and getting perhaps a little too much enjoyment out of it.

In the midst of a crisis or not, Henry's family was here together, his moms were _together_ together, and they were all having dinner and bickering and being so amazingly _domestic -_ and he couldn't have been happier.

"Henry!" Regina shouted from the kitchen. "Tell your grandmother to stop it!"

"Henry! Tell your mother to stop!" Snow shouted back.

"I'm coming," Henry called back, smiling to himself as he trotted towards his family, letting the back doors swing shut behind him.


	16. Long Live the Queen

_The Evil Queen has come out to play, and she demands Rumplestiltskin's participation._

* * *

"Don't fall asleep."

"I'm just resting my eyes!"

Emma huffed, jutting out her lower lip in a dramatic pout as Regina rolled her eyes. The group had set out in the morning to hunt down the demons again, but four hours later and they still hadn't found a thing, hence why they were now in the diner having lunch. Well, everyone _else_ was having lunch, while Emma sat across from Regina with their hands linked, magical energy buzzing across their skin with the brunette's spell. They were attempting a more powerful tracking spell since the demons' cloaking abilities were stronger than ever.

"You have to use your magic too, Emma."

"I am! It's just hard to concentrate when I'm hungry," the blonde complained, giving Regina her most imploring pout. The brunette sighed and released her hands with a little shake of her head.

"Oh, fine. Go eat. You're hopeless on an empty stomach." It was said in jest and there was a glimmer of teasing amusement in those brown eyes as Emma stood and grinned.

"You need to eat too. I'll ask Granny if she's got salad in the kitchen." She turned to the counter to find Granny Lucas already sliding a sandwich and a grilled chicken salad towards her.

"Took you long enough," the older woman snorted. Emma flashed an appreciative smile and took the food back to their booth only to find that her parents had joined them; Snow sitting next to Regina and David across from them. Emma slid in next to her father and pushed the salad towards Regina.

"Mom, Dad," Emma greeted cautiously, in that bemused tone of voice that said _This is out of the ordinary, what's going on?_ Regina looked just as weary, especially at the smile that threatened to split Snow's cheeks. David's grin wasn't any more comforting.

"We've been thinking," David began.

"Don't strain yourself," Regina said, lip quirking as Snow elbowed her in the side. David rolled his eyes and continued.

"Since we've got Neal, there's definitely a lot less room in the loft. And now that you two are soulmates-"

"Are you kicking me out?" said Emma, incredulous. There was the barest hint of hurt in her eyes that she quickly suppressed.

"No, no," said Snow hurriedly. "We love having you with us at the loft."

"Just suggesting," David added. "It's going to happen eventually-"

"Just because we're soulmates doesn't mean we should skip straight to living together," Regina deadpanned. "You didn't propose to Snow right after your True Love's Kiss, did you?"

"Well not _immediately_ after-"

"Mostly because _someone_ was threatening my life," Snow added with a sarcastic tilt of her head in Regina's direction. The brunette snorted.

"Regardless, we're not in the Enchanted Forest anymore, so I would like to take my relationship slowly, thank you very much."

"Besides, I am _so_ not a U-haul lesbian," Emma muttered.

"A what?" Snow asked, as Regina scrunched her face in distaste at the title. Emma shook her head emphatically.

"Nevermind. Just- no. God. Can we eat our lunch in peace?"

"Fine," Snow huffed, sliding out of the booth to go chat with Ruby. David, trapped between Emma and the wall, just settled back with his mug of coffee and made himself comfortable. Once the women had eaten, they returned to their attempts at a tracking spell.

"Relax," Regina murmured, giving Emma's fingers a squeeze. The blonde breathed in deeply and eased the tension in her hands, focusing on the softness of Regina's palms against her fingertips. Magic rippled across their skin, warming them to the bone and radiating outwards in a sort of invisible yet comforting aura. David watched, enraptured, his blue eyes curious. There was no physical manifestation for him to see but he could definitely feel it in the air.

"Anything?" he asked softly, not wanting to break the quiet murmur of sound in the diner. Emma kept her lips pursed with concentration while Regina responded.

"I think I may know where they are," she said slowly, brown eyes unfocused as she blinked down at their conjoined hands. The spell heightened her awareness of magical energy, as if all the energy in the town was now a part of her. She felt outwards, tentatively probing for a clue, feeling herself drawn towards the west where the energy grew darker. "Somewhere along the far woods past the stream, to the west," she said absently, as if regarding the spread of energy like a map of the town. Water always contained magical properties and she could feel it now, a trickle of magic somewhere to her left, making a jagged path through the forestry where she knew a stream ran towards the beach.

She inhaled slowly, then pulled back her magic, gently untangling it from Emma's until the only thing left connecting them were their hands. Emma's eyes refocused and she gave a shy little smile at the intimacy of their conjoined magic; like two glowing strands twined around each other, the white-gold magic of the Savior and the red-fuchsia magic of the Queen.

"That was different," she said after a moment, holding onto Regina's hands as if they were still tied together by an ethereal force.

"Some spells require a much more focused and intricate joining of magic." Regina gave her hand a squeeze before carefully detaching their fingers. Emma frowned as their last physical link was cut and Regina had to resist grabbing her hand again, as if it was suddenly cold and empty to be without the other's touch. "That was certainly… new. For me as well."

It was as much of an admission as she would get. Regina had only ever used such delicate magic once before and that had been under Rumplestiltskin's tutelage, and _that_ was certainly a very different and far less pleasant experience. The mere memory of her magic twining with his made her shudder. Such spellwork was far too intimate to do with just anyone.

"So we've got a location?" David interjected softly, his expression open and hopeful as always. His hand had fallen to rest against Emma's back, and normally Emma would have leaned in to the touch, but after her magical connection with Regina she didn't feel quite right leaning against her father. She slid out of the booth and pretended to stretch out stiff limbs instead.

"We do," Regina confirmed, dark gaze dragging over the blonde's extended limbs before remembering that the woman's father was right there. She smoothed out her dress pants and cleared her throat. "If you'd like to rally the troops-" Emma snickered. "-we can get going."

"Sure thing." David flashed a smile and hopped out of the booth to get everyone moving. Regina stood, only to find herself immediately enveloped in Emma's arms.

"Touchy today, aren't we?" she asked, amused, settling her hands on the blonde's hips.

"Well, that whole magic thing - that was pretty intense, right?"

"That it was."

"Can we do it again?"

Regina lifted a brow. "We already know where the demons are holed up."

"I know, I just mean… y'know, combining our magic like that, in some other way. We could do it again in the future, couldn't we?"

"I suppose I could think of something." Regina reached up a hand to stroke her fingers against Emma's cheek, watching green eyes flutter shut. "It was rather intimate, wasn't it?"

"Understatement of the year," Emma chuckled, turning her head to kiss Regina's hand. David cleared his throat to get their attention and the group was once again on the move, this time with a destination in mind. The mood was relatively relaxed until they were hiking through the forest and saw the stream up ahead. Snow notched an arrow and David unsheathed his sword.

"They're up there?" David asked.

"Apparently so," Regina confirmed, feeling Emma walk even closer by her side. The blonde had her hands hanging loose by her sides, shoulders tense and ready to spring into action. She just hoped their magic lessons were enough.

The group nodded to each other before fanning out, a silent agreement that it was likely a better idea than standing close together in a huddle. Ruby took point on the far right while Leroy took point on the left, swinging his axe over his shoulder. The Swan-Mills-Charmings took the lead, the group forming a wide arrowhead as they approached the site. Magical or not, everyone could feel the unnatural chill in the air and automatically tensed, anticipating an attack.

"Think they opened Pandora's Box?" Emma murmured, her voice low. Regina shifted beside her, frowning.

"Let's hope not."

Slowing to a stop in the middle of the clearing by the stream, the group warily surveyed the area. Emma approached a little rise of hill, no taller than her shoulder, in which one side of it was rock and dirt and the other side was grass. She scuffed her boot into the wet pile of leaves at the base, knocking grime off of what she had hoped wasn't Pandora's Box. No such luck.

"They opened the box," she sighed, reaching down to pluck the now useless contraption from the ground. Black soot came off on her fingers, and she found a deep gouge through the magical symbol that had once trapped the demons inside. Regina came up next to her to examine it.

"Can we still use it?" David questioned, thumping over to take a look. The rest of their group moved into a circular formation, facing outwards, on guard. Regina rotated the box in her hands for another minute before scowling and tossing it to the forest floor.

"It's useless crap now," she growled, cleaning the soot from her hands with a snap of her fingers. Emma did the same before settling a reassuring hand on Regina's lower back.

"Hey, we can still do this without the box."

"We haven't even figured out how to kill these things yet."

"We will." Emma's lips twisted into a grin. "Have a little faith. We're Regina and Emma. The Queen and the Savior. Batgirl and Spoiler!"

Regina quirked a brow at her.

"Henry would get it," Emma pouted.

"Oh, I get the reference, _Miss Brown._ I just prefer Bat _woman._ "

"Understood, _Miss Gordon."_ Those dimples reappeared on Emma's cheeks, absolutely delighted that Regina was a bigger geek than she let on. She'd have to thank Henry for somehow dragging the uptight brunette into the world of comic book heroes. Regina just rolled her eyes and turned to the group.

"The demons have to be around here somewhere. Let's spread out and force them out of hiding. Just don't stray too far. If they appear, lead them back here and call for backup."

There were curt nods everywhere, then people moved off in pairings, slowly combing the surrounding area with weapons drawn. Snow and David took off in one direction, Leroy with Nova, Ruby and Granny, August with Tink and Belle. Emma bounded after Regina.

"Where do you think those hellhound things are?"

"Gone, I hope. They don't belong in this world, so hopefully their summoning was only temporary."

"I hope so. To be honest, they were worse than the demons." The memory of Grayson's body torn and bloodied by razor-sharp teeth and claws came unbidden to her mind, causing a shiver to ripple up her spine. The demons didn't maul flesh, at least.

Regina laughed abruptly, voice thick with humor. Emma turned to look quizzically at her, only to find Regina staring back in confusion. The eerily familiar laughter continued, but it wasn't coming from the brunette.

"Oh hell," Emma managed, before they both located the source of the laughter. The demon incarnation of Regina lurked only a short distance from them, her hip leaning against a tree, every curve accentuated by tight leather clothes only the Evil Queen would have worn. She lowered one hand to stroke the head of the hellbeast standing by her side, its teeth bared in a terrible smile.

"Worse than me? I don't know about that, _dear,_ " the demon purred in Regina's voice. Emma couldn't help but shiver at the pure seduction in her tone. Demon or not, it sounded just like Regina, and damned if that voice didn't make her weak in the knees.

"Why don't you use your own face instead of mine?" Regina barked, agitated.

"Oh, but that's not nearly as fun." The demon grinned, moving to cross her arms under her ample cleavage. Emma's gaze flickered past the demon, and then around them, searching for other potential dangers.

"Where are your 'friends'?"

"Right here," the demon replied, at the same time motioning at her own body with a proud little smile. "Now there is only me." And Emma realized why _this_ demon seemed different from the first time they saw her. She was entirely solid, flesh and blood with dark magic crackling over her skin, no longer partially made of shadows. Vaguely Emma thought that meant perhaps she could strike her with a physical weapon - but the sheer amount of power oozing from the demon Regina's pores made her think twice.

"How…?"

"Well you certainly delayed my progress, trapping some of us in that infernal box of yours," the demon sneered, crimson red lips twisting with disdain. "But all is well now that we've finally regained our strength and become one - thus I'll give you one chance, savior. Leave now, and we can go about our own business."

Emma blinked, still too stunned and confused to make sense of what was being said. _(What was this whole merging-into-one bullshit?)_ Regina was quicker on the uptake.

"You're affecting my town, so no, we're not leaving you alone." Regina brought forth a fireball, quickly mimicked by Emma and her handheld tornado once she snapped back to attention. The demon just shrugged, ever so casual and at ease.

"As you wish."

She turned away dismissively at the same time the hellbeast lunged forward. Regina and Emma flung their magic at the same time, knocking the creature out of the air. It landed with a heavy thud and recovered enough to stand between them and the retreating demon, though she wasn't really retreating so much as she was sashaying away.

Green eyes met brown and they both nodded ever so subtly, a silent agreement: _don't let her get away._

"Hey! I'm not done with you!" Emma shouted tauntingly at the demon's back as Regina stepped forward and blasted the hellhound aside with another barrage of energy, sending it skittering a few yards away. The demon paused and glanced over her shoulder, lifting a brow at Emma in a very Regina-like way.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about your friends?" she asked innocently.

"What did you do?" Emma asked instinctively, feeling the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up at what was clearly a veiled threat. The demon's eyes flickered from Emma to somewhere off in the distance. Then she smiled.

Emma whipped her head around to check behind her, squinting to make out the others in the distance, and could immediately see more of the giant hellhounds charging through the forest. Her knee-jerk reaction was to run towards them to help, to be nearer to her friends and family in case they needed her. The sound of Regina's struggle as the brunette battered the nearby hellhound into the ground brought her attention back.

"Regina," she called out, voice anxious. Regina set the hellhound up in flames before bringing up another pair of fireballs in her hands.

"Focus, Emma!" She hurled her magic at the demon, shielding her eyes when the demon swung her arm and brought up a shield that absorbed the blow with a great flash of light. Emma quickly joined the fray, their combined magic pushing the demon back, each attack a burst of gold and rose against the demon's ashy black. The demon was indeed being pushed back, losing ground simply because Emma and Regina kept pushing forward with each blast of magic, but neither side was actually doing any damage. Emma just hoped the demon's magic reserves would dwindle and run out eventually, or this tug of war was going to last a long time.

Emma paused in her barrage, eyes skittering to a tree just behind the demon, and instead of another energy ball she focused on the tree, imagined her magic gripping the trunk and - with her hands out in a grabbing motion - pulled it down and towards herself with as much force as she could muster. There was a groan and the snap of roots as it tore free from the ground and came crashing down upon its intended target. The demon spun around with a snarl, swinging out her arm to redirect the tree coming down on her. Regina's fireball caught her in the spine at the same time she swung the tree through the air with a violent wave, crashing it into Emma and Regina with Emma taking the brunt of it, just about arm-barred across the gut.

They hit the ground hard as the demon hissed and writhed to put out the flames licking at her dress and hair. With a burst of magic, Regina threw the tree off of them, glad that it wasn't a very large one, no more than half a foot in diameter. Still it winded Emma, the blonde rolling over and struggling to catch her breath after the blow to her solar plexus. The brunette was on her feet faster, already reaching for a spell she hadn't used since Henry tried climbing out of his bedroom window once upon a time. Tree branches snatched up the demon by her limbs, swinging her up into suspension. The demon fought back with a flash of her own fire, dropped suddenly to the ground when the tree branches shrunk back with audible hisses. She and Regina squared off against each other with another colliding blast of magic when an explosion rocked them backwards, sending the demon skittering away and Regina landing on her ass again.

"Regina?" Emma called, wincing beneath the shower of dirt and bits of flying bark. A scuffle to her right came from Leroy as he flung another vial, watching it arc through the air before shattering by the demon's feet and exploding. The demon was flung backwards again, snarling and cursing as she rolled across the ground. "Leroy!"

"Kill it _faster!"_ he shouted impatiently, gripping his axe tightly in one hand. "The hellbeasts are tearing us down!"

Springing to her feet and stumbling towards the dwarf, Emma yanked a spare dagger from his belt and then ran to help Regina to her feet, alert green eyes meeting brown ones. "Get me close enough!"

"Are you crazy? You're going to _stab_ it?"

"It's flesh and blood," Emma insisted. "We have to try! Our current tactic isn't getting us anywhere and the others can't keep this up forever!"

Regina growled her reluctant agreement before they rushed after the demon again, holding their breaths to avoid inhaling the lingering smoke from the exploding potion. Regina grabbed Emma's forearm and squeezed, her hand suddenly clenching shut into a fist when the blonde disappeared from her grip in a blur of purple smoke. Her other hand shot forward with a blast of fire that the demon summoned a shield against. Still Regina charged forward like a bull, crashing fireball after fireball against the shimmering shield. The demon sneered and held up her barrier with one hand while magic encased her other hand, jagged black shadows spinning in a vortex within her palm. She raised her hand, waiting for the moment to strike once Regina was close enough, but Emma struck before she had the chance.

In one swift motion, the blonde had reappeared behind the demon and swung her dagger in an inward arc, slamming it up to its hilt in the demon's chest where she assumed its heart might be. More than likely it did not have a heart, but surely it would still do damage.

The spurt of dark red blood hitting her hand surprised her enough that she didn't pull away immediately, one arm still wrapped around the demon. In the next second she felt herself flung back so hard that she didn't even have time to shout before colliding with the forest floor in a flurry of disturbed leaves, her shoulderblades taking the brunt of it. Regina was shouting something and there was another flash of magic, then a furious Evil Queen was snarling in Emma's face as she was lifted off the ground and sailing through the air again, the front of her sweater gripped in the demon's clawed hands.

"How _dare_ you bleed me?" she hissed, shaking Emma violently even as she carried her through the air in flight. Emma flailed with newfound fear, seeing nothing but trees zooming past them. She made the mistake of turning her head and looking down, finding the ground zipping by beneath her at a speed and height that made her stomach flip, knowing full well that the demon need only let go of her sweater to send her falling.

"You messed with the wrong town," Emma retorted with more bravado than she felt, grabbing hold of the dagger - still buried to the hilt in the demon's chest - and twisting it fiercely. More blood sprayed out, soaking her sweater, and the demon's grip faltered enough that Emma suddenly dropped an inch before being dragged back up again, so close that their noses brushed.

They were suddenly swinging around in the air, so fast that Emma nearly lost her breakfast as she was dipped and then lifted again, slamming backwards into the thick trunk of a tree with the demon pinning her there, ten feet above the ground. Somehow the dagger had been pulled free of the demon's chest, thick red oozing down the tight Evil-Queen dress, dagger clutched in her free hand while the other fisted Emma's sweater and kept her crushed against the tree.

"Remember, I had offered you a chance, Savior," the demon hissed, bringing the dagger back in a wide arc, blade glistening a bright crimson red in the sunlight.

Emma was only vaguely aware of Regina screaming her name before the whistle of the blade came down, a red hot pain searing directly into her ribs and forcing what little breath was left in her lungs out in a gasp.

The demon yanked the dagger back. Emma watched the spray of red mist follow the dagger's arc with a detached sort of morbid fascination. It took a moment for her brain to connect the spray with the odd feeling of heat in her ribs. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would; in fact, she hardly felt it as she reached up to press her fingers into the wound on the demon's chest, imagining lightmagic piercing the wound further. The demon gave a shriek of agony, flesh burning beneath the Savior's fingertips. Emma thought she saw a white-gold light bleed into the wound like poison, but then she was soaring through the air again, this time a cry of real terror ripping its way from her throat.

"Regina!" she sobbed for help, her voice lost to the rush of air as she fell, the ground rushing up to meet her. There was screaming, a mixture of familiar voices all shouting out at once, one of which might have been her own. Emma hit the treeline and collided into branch after branch, sent battered and tumbling and twisting with each snap of wood until all she saw was the ground's sudden approach at such a rapid speed that she knew, _knew_ , death was inevitable. This was going to kill her.

Green eyes squeezed shut, breath held as she tensed for impact, a tiny part of her hoping that she landed just so, so that perhaps her neck would snap cleanly and her death would be quick and painless at least.

Impact never came. Her breath left her in a rattling gust as something cushioned her in the air and slowly lowered her the remaining distance to the ground. Emma's eyes skittered to the side and she saw Regina running towards her with her arms thrown out, a look of terrified concentration on her face. When her back finally touched the forest floor, a pain shot through Emma's ribcage so suddenly that she forgot to breath, and in the next moment, she blacked out.

* * *

" _Emma!"_

She heard screaming, a high pitched keen that was full of pain and despair.

For a moment, Emma thought it was herself. She'd been in so much pain after all. But this scream- it couldn't be her, could it? She didn't feel the pain anymore. The cold lump in her stomach had spread through her body until everything was numb and tingly, almost like she was just floating there, painless. Except for her ribcage. There was a strange heat there, not quite painful - just a line of heat from her flesh straight into her body. She was pretty sure her lips were pressed shut. She definitely wasn't the one screaming.

The scream came again. Her name. Over and over again. _Emma! Emma!_

Emma forced open her eyelids and blinked in the blurry swarm of colours before her. She didn't remember when she'd closed her eyes. Her head lolled to one side and there was a hint of pressure at her jaw. Someone was grabbing her face.

"Emma!"

Her sense of hearing returned all at once as if her eardrums had popped, overwhelming her with the realization of _Hey, I can hear again. Holy shit, it's really loud out here_. She could recognize that voice anywhere, but she'd never heard it sound so heartbroken before. She blinked a little harder and Regina's face came into focus.

The brunette's hair was a mess, tousled as if she'd just walked through a hurricane, some strands sticking to her forehead with sweat. Emma thought her signature red lipstick had smeared everywhere too, until she realized it wasn't lipstick at all. Regina's face was spattered with blood.

"R'... gina…?" Her voice came out as a wet gurgle, eyebrows slowly creasing together with concern, not for herself but for the brunette. She knew Regina so well that it didn't surprise her when the mayor choked out a startled laugh.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about, idiot," Regina admonished, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her. Emma thought the brunette's eyes looked suspiciously shiny. She would have jokingly said, " _Hey, don't cry, you're gonna make me cry"_ if she were able to talk properly. As it were, her chest hurt and she couldn't seem to convince her lungs to take in enough oxygen to speak again. She coughed weakly and closed her eyes to rest for a moment, only for Regina to jostle her shoulders a little too violently for her liking.

"Don't sleep! Emma!"

Emma looked up at the brunette again, exasperated.

 _I just want to rest my eyes for a minute, damn it._

"No! Stay with me. You have to stay awake." Could the woman read minds now too? Emma wanted to grunt. What left her lips was a wet, sad sounding wheeze, accompanied by darkness creeping into the edges of her waning eyesight. Gods, she felt so tired.

Something landed on her cheek. She refocused her eyes and saw tears running down Regina's cheek.

"Don't leave me, Emma," she pleaded, her voice a broken whisper. "I need you."

* * *

The pain in her upper arm was a dull ache compared to the absolute agony in her chest. Snow ignored the steady trickle of blood running down her arm as she pulled back another arrow and let it loose, skittering backwards with David at her side, matching her pace. They'd been separated from the others by a pair of hellbeasts but not far enough that she didn't see the demon dragging Emma through the air like a ragdoll. They lost sight of her in the treelines, but Regina's sudden screaming set off the alarm bells in her mind. Emma was hurt. Her daughter was hurt.

"Move!" Someone was shouting. David yanked on Snow's arm and she turned to follow him, breaking out into a run when Granny motioned for them to bypass her. She and Red, the younger woman in full wolf form, covered their retreat as they rushed to the Savior's side. August, Nova, Tink, and Leroy hurried to help hold the line with the werewolves.

"Emma!" Snow shouted, dropping ungracefully to the ground next to her unconscious daughter. Regina didn't even bother looking up at her, her hands pressing down hard on Emma's ribs where blood had soaked through her sweater and now pooled around her fingers.

"I - I can't heal it, I don't know what the knife hit-" Regina's voice was weak as she stared at Emma's face, silently begging her to open her eyes. Belle paced just next to her, snapping commands into her phone.

"I know it's- Yes, internal bleeding. I'm sure. Just be ready, Whale!" She ended the call and dropped down, gripping Regina by her forearm. "I called the hospital. You have to teleport Emma there now!"

"But-"

Brown eyes lifted to meet Belle's, startled, then turned conflicted as she looked across Emma's body to Snow and David. She couldn't teleport everyone, and that meant leaving them here to the demon and the hellbeasts.

"Go, Regina," Snow demanded, her voice hard.

"None of you are a match for the demon," Regina said, voice and expression blank. The demon was nowhere to be seen - it had fled after Emma's attacks - but the threat remained nonetheless.

"It doesn't matter." David reached out and gripped her shoulder, his eyes wide. "She's going to bleed out if you don't take her now!"

As if deferring, Regina looked to Snow once more, startled by the genuine concern she felt for her once mortal enemy. If Emma could be so wounded, what would happen to the others? To Snow? But Snow just stared back with the fierce stubbornness that she had possessed for as long as Regina could remember, with green eyes that she had so clearly passed down to Emma. Green eyes that had, time and time again, believed in Regina's ability to do the right thing, to change. Green eyes that believed in _her._

"Take care of my daughter," said Snow, speaking around the lump in her throat.

Regina blinked. Set her jaw. Nodded. Then she and Emma disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke, leaving behind nothing but a small pool of blood staining the dirt where Emma had been lying just a moment ago.

Snow stood and felt David squeezing her wrist, a touch of reassurance. Belle was already moving back towards the others with a vial of black dust in her hand.

"Emma must have really injured the demon; it fled and hasn't returned," she said when the Charmings tailed her.

"Then we kill the hellbeasts for now," David grunted, swinging his sword and feeling the tension in his arms relax from the familiar motion. Snow tossed her bow and quiver aside - having run out of arrows - and unsheathed her short sword, the blade giving a hiss as it slid free of its scabbard.

* * *

The second visit to the hospital was far worse than the first. This time Regina felt truly alone, as even Emma had long stopped responding to her voice. The nurses didn't bother trying to separate them, actually hoisting Regina up onto the gurney so that she could straddle Emma's hips and keep pressure on her wound as they were wheeled quickly down the hall and into an operating room. Whale was prepped and waiting, and went to work as soon as they shifted Emma onto the table, Regina still attached to her side.

"How long has she been unresponsive?" he asked between snapping out orders to his assistants.

"Three- four minutes?" Regina grabbed Emma's cold hand with her own blood-coated ones, ignoring the tackiness on her skin. A mask went over the blonde's face and her jacket and sweater were cut away to uncover the stab wound. It continued to bleed at an alarming rate, making Emma paler than she thought possible, white as a corpse. The mere thought of losing the blonde on the operating table struck ice in Regina's veins, threatening to freeze over her heart and shatter it. This - this was worse than losing Daniel. Emma was _tied_ to her, her soulmate, the other half of her very being. And Henry. _Henry._ He couldn't lose his other mother. And Snow and Charming, this was their daughter, their _child._

Regina's voice was oddly steady as she looked up at the doctor, brown eyes hollow.

"If she dies-"

"You'll kill me, yeah, I know," Whale grunted. He glanced up, startled by the look on Regina's face. Lost. Lost and afraid.

"-I'll be devastated," she finished in a whisper, as if Henry and Snow and Charming's pain all rested upon her shoulders, her guilt to carry if Emma died. Whale hesitated, breathed in, nodded.

"Then help me save her."

* * *

"You need medical assistance, your Majesty!"

"No I don't! I _need_ to see my daughter!"

Snow all but pushed the nurse away with a huff of frustration, David and the others hot on her heels as they rushed their way through the hospital, far too familiar with its halls at this point. Leroy, August, and Tinkerbell walked with varying limps while Ruby left a tiny trail of blood droplets in her wake. Nurses chased after the group in dismay.

They'd managed to dispatch most of the hellbeasts, though the remaining ones retreated once more when it was clear the demon was not returning for them. Belle was quite sure that Emma had managed to do some lasting damage, though whether the damage lasted or meant they now had an advantage over the demon was yet to be known. Still, feeling as though they'd finally made an impact instead of fighting a losing war, they hurried to the hospital with less despair. Snow and David were the only ones truly concerned, having seen Emma's wounds up close, her blood pooling over Regina's hands.

When they made it into the wing in which one of the nurses had grudgingly directed them to, the entire group stumbled to a stop.

Just down the hall, a nurse led a dazed looking Regina in their direction. Her hair a mess, her face spattered with flecks of red, and her pantsuit and hands entirely stained with blood, she lifted her gaze and blinked unseeingly at them. Snow stumbled back against David's chest.

"Emma?" she asked aloud, her voice weak. For a moment she feared the worst when Regina just stared at her, void of emotion. Then her eyes seemed to refocus and she breathed in slowly, clearing the cobwebs from her mind.

"She's alive," she said, feeling the group's relief wash over her swiftly. "She's… Whale said she'll recover."

The next thing she knew, Snow was rushing over to draw her into her arms, whispering an unsteady 'thank you' into her ear as she squeezed her tightly. Regina left her arms hanging limp by her sides, too afraid to move her hands, not wanting the tackiness on her skin to remind her of how much blood she was covered in.

"Where were you taking her?" David questioned the nurse standing by. She made a nervous gesture at the state Regina was in.

"I was going to take her to get cleaned up and into some spare scrubs."

"I'll take her," Snow said, drawing back only enough to hold Regina by her arms. The older brunette just nodded mutely, allowing the nurse to direct them all. They were taken to a room with showers and lockers, offered fresh scrubs and disinfectants, a few nurses remaining with them to help clean out wounds and bandage them up. Snow tended to Regina, inwardly relieved that the other brunette accepted the assistance. She was nearly scrubbed raw to get all the blood off her skin and out from under her fingernails, but at least she felt clean again once they all sat around in scrubs and with coffee cups in hand.

"When can we see her?" Snow finally asked aloud, prompting Regina to lift her head with a small sigh.

"I don't know. Whale sent me away to get cleaned up when he didn't need my help anymore. They were still working on her when I left."

"She's out of surgery now, actually," said Whale, entering the room with an assistant at his heels. The poor man looked haggard from exhaustion, but made a crack at humor when he lifted a brow at the group. "We all really need to stop meeting like this."

"How is she?" asked Snow, rising to her feet.

"Alive and recovering far better than I would've thought possible, thanks to Regina," he admitted, tilting his head in Regina's direction. "Emma's liver was punctured and she was bleeding out internally, but with my direction and Regina's magic, we were able to stop the bleeding almost immediately and get her on a transfusion. We've closed her up and have her on a drip now. I imagine the incision can be easily healed by magic too, once Regina's regained her energy."

"Of course," Regina agreed quietly, nodding her head. She still looked somewhat out of it, not quite alert, and Snow gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Can we see her, doctor Whale?"

"Family, yes."

Snow and David stood immediately. Regina glanced up at them, dark gaze almost uncertain.

"You heard him," Snow said softly, holding out a hand. "Family."

With her hand clasped in Snow White's, Regina was led down to HCU where they had moved Emma. She half expected to see Emma lying deathly still in bed, white as a sheet. Instead, they opened the door to find the blonde examining the IV in her arm with a childish pout.

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed, nearly dragging Regina forward in her eagerness to see that her child was indeed recovering. "How are you feeling?"

Emma smiled crookedly, blinking up at them like she couldn't quite focus her gaze. "Hi. I'm fine, Mom. Super high right now."

Her green eyes dragged sluggishly over to Regina before settling on dark brown orbs, seeing the clear hurt in them. She held out her hand for Regina's, mindful of her IVs, and then gently brought the woman's hand to her lips to place a kiss on her knuckles.

"Sorry," she murmured, lips stretching into a wry smile. "That didn't exactly go as planned."

A watery laugh escaped the brunette, her head shaking as she stroked her thumb over Emma's clumsy fingers. "No, no it didn't." Her jaw tightened as she forced a smile. "I almost wanted to kill you myself for scaring me like that."

"Sorry," Emma said again, pressing another kiss to her knuckles, eyelashes fluttering as she closed her eyes and simply held Regina's hand to her lips. "I'll be more careful next time."

Regina said nothing, simply squeezing her fingers. After a moment, she leaned down to kiss Emma's temple. "I just need a moment. I'll be right back."

She pulled away and slipped from the room before the drug-addled blonde could formulate a response. Emma's mouth opened and closed before she directed a confused look to her parents.

"She'll be fine, just give her a minute," Snow reassured her, smiling gently. David nodded in agreement.

"You scared her, you scared all of us there for a moment. Regina just needs time to process."

Dumbly, Emma nodded, allowing her parents to coddle her for the time being.

Outside, Regina made her way halfway down the corridor before sinking against the wall, arms curled protectively around her stomach, hands clenched into fists. She could almost still feel the stickiness of her fingers glued together with blood, the slide of crimson ooze across her skin. A shiver ran up her spine at the phantom texture. She'd killed in the past, yes, with magic, or by long distance means. Her hands had never been slick with blood before though, not like this.

She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself - this was no big deal, the Evil Queen wasn't traumatized by a little blood after all - when she realized the air was unnaturally cold. She straightened up only to be shoved back down against the wall by her own doppelganger, feeling as if she were staring into a mirror from the past. Dark eyes heavily ringed with black makeup were narrowed and crimson red lips twisted into a snarl. A hand pinned her to the wall by her throat and for a moment Regina could only gasp in shock, scrabbling at the vice-like grip tightening around her airway.

"Listen very carefully, because I will say this only once," the demon hissed, pressing ever closer. Regina startled at something warm smearing her elbow. Her gaze fell to take in the ugly wound in the demon's chest, still oozing fresh blood. "I want Rumplestiltskin. Bring him back into town and I will spare the life of your mate. Fail me, and I'll crush her heart before your very eyes."

The pressure around her neck tightened suddenly. Regina wheezed, struggling for air. Then the demon was gone in a swirl of black smoke, and Regina slumped to the ground with her heart pounding fiercely in her chest all over again, five fresh bruises marking her throat.


	17. Rumplestiltskin

_Rumplestiltskin returns, the tables are turned, and a broken ship sails once more._

* * *

"Regina? What's wrong?"

Drug addled or not, Emma was immediately aware that something was not right, and the crease of concern between her brows would have been endearing if Regina weren't too distracted to notice it. Somewhat dazedly, she stepped into the room and let the door fall shut behind her, her feet automatically taking her to the side of Emma's bed. The blonde reached for her and she complied, perching on the edge and letting Emma's arms encircle her.

"Regina? Hey-" It took her a moment, but her green eyes refocused and zeroed in on the fingerprint-shaped bruises marking Regina's throat. The brunette made to pull away.

"Emma-"

"Who did this to you?" Her voice, only moments ago light and airy, turned low and furious as she gripped the brunette's shoulders and pulled her closer, refusing to let her retreat. "Regina, _who did this to you?"_

"It's okay," Regina whispered, running her hands soothingly along Emma's tense arms. "I'm okay. Relax, Emma. You need to rest…"

"I'm not resting! Who put their hands on you? Tell me who did this."

"Emma, please…" Regina leaned forward, shoulders sagging. The blonde pulled her closer so that Regina's face was tucked in against her neck, one hand cradling the back of her dark hair while the other gently ran up and down her spine. They simply sat like that for a long few minutes, soaking in the comfort of each other's embrace, Regina's fingers tangled into Emma's shirt with a death-grip as if it would reassure her that the other woman wasn't going anywhere. Snow and David stood quietly by the end of the bed, waiting.

"The demon wants Rumplestiltskin brought back into Storybrooke," Regina finally said, drawing back out of Emma's embrace and straightening her posture again. This was no time to be weak or emotional - she needed to stay focused.

" _She_ was here?" Emma asked, eyes darkening with anger. ' _Did she leave those bruises?'_ was the unsaid question. Regina averted her gaze.

"Regardless of what _it_ wants," she said instead, refusing to give the demon a gender simply because of the appearance it stole, "I think it may be… beneficial, to contact Rumplestiltskin. The demons were originally sent to him, perhaps he will know of a way to defeat it permanently."

"Not that I particularly care for his wellbeing," Snow began, frowning, "but if the demon wants him, it can't be for anything good. We can't just hand him over."

"Besides, we don't even know where he is," David added. "Belle hasn't heard from him since she sent him over the town line weeks ago. For all we know he could be anywhere in the world by now."

"I'm not suggesting we give him over to the demon, but we _do_ need his help. If anyone might know how to defeat the demon, it's him." Regina shrugged a shoulder in defeat. She hated resorting to the imp just as much as everyone else did, but they were truly struggling to defeat the demon and she refused to risk another injury like Emma's.

"Then let's contact Gold," Emma finally said, looking far more exhausted than she did a minute ago, her eyes sunken and her skin paling. The excitement of the day was hitting her hard. "You guys should probably talk to Belle. She should have an idea of how to find him. I think I need to shut my eyes for a bit."

"We'll step out and let you sleep in peace," Snow offered with a small smile.

 _"No,"_ Regina immediately stressed, the mere thought of leaving Emma alone in the room striking panic in her chest. "We need people staying in here at all times. The demon can appear anywhere."

David's hand settled onto the sword at his hip, already shifting into protective mode. Emma's eyes slowly narrowed on Regina.

"What else did the demon say?"

"It doesn't matter, Emma-"

"What else did she say?"

The brunette's jaw worked back and forth for a moment, the demon's words resounding in her mind and catching in her throat. Inhaling a deep breath, she forced them out between gritted teeth. "That if I didn't give her Rumplestiltskin, she would rip out your heart and crush it in front of me."

"Over my dead body," David growled, a sentiment Snow echoed with equal amounts of fierce determination. Regina felt a dull ache in her neck where the demon's fingers had left deep bruises and resisted the urge to cover them with her hand, lest she draw Emma's attention to them again.

"Well in that case, we've got time," Emma said after a moment, seeming far less concerned than everyone else. "She's going to be watching and waiting for us to locate Gold first. Until then I'm not in danger."

"Regardless, we're not leaving you alone for even a moment. We'll get some of the others in here to watch over you while we search for Gold."

"Fine," Emma muttered with a shrug, knowing this was not an argument she'd win, no matter how much she didn't want to be watched while she slept. Her brain was getting fuzzy and her body ached with exhaustion, so she carefully reclined back into her pillow with a soft grunt of discomfort, a twinge of pain shooting through her ribcage and reminding her not to move around too much. "I'm gonna sleep for a bit. I feel like crap."

"Okay," Regina murmured, gently clasping Emma's hand within hers. Brown eyes met green ones, a moment's hesitation passing between them.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," Emma said softly, squeezing the brunette's fingers.

"Tell me that again when you're not laying in a hospital bed."

"I'll tell you that every day for the rest of our lives." Emma gave a crooked grin. Regina scoffed, pink tinging her cheeks at the blonde's implications.

"You're high, dear. Get some sleep." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead, but Emma grumbled and hooked a finger into the neckline of Regina's shirt, refusing to release her until she got a proper kiss to the lips. Snow and David averted their eyes at the public display of affection but otherwise gave Regina a reassuring smile as the brunette stood once more.

"We'll watch over her. You just let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you." With a final nod, Regina left the room, hurrying back to the guest lounge that their group had commandeered a few hours prior. The others were all spread out on the couches or benches, eating or napping. To her mild surprise, Grayson was in the room keeping Ruby company. He was wrapped up in a warm hospital robe and sitting in a wheelchair, leaning heavily to one side, but looked otherwise alert and recovering.

"Your Majesty," he greeted with a crooked grin and a nod of his head. He didn't say it aloud, but there was a look of gratitude in his eyes knowing that she'd saved his life. She just smiled and nodded in return before stepping over to where Belle sat with Tink and Nova.

"There's been a… new development," she began, somewhat hesitantly. The younger brunette had never really discussed the details of Rumple's banishment those many weeks ago, but for her to have finally given up on the man, it was clearly going to be a touchy subject. Regina tried to break the news gently, but she never was one for tact when it came to situations like these.

'What's going on? Is Emma alright?" the librarian asked, brows scrunching together. The room went quiet, all eyes and ears on the mayor. Regina gave a wry smile.

"She's fine. Recovering. We have another problem, however. The demon was here earlier-"

"Where?!" Leroy half shouted, his pickaxe already clutched in his big hands. Multiple sets of eyes rolled in their sockets. Nova seemed to swoon a little at his 'protective' outburst.

"Contain yourself, munchkin," Regina huffed.

"It's _dwarf,_ sister…"

"The demon threatened to kill Emma if we didn't bring Rumplestiltskin back into town."

Ruby growled low in her throat. The others shifted with obvious surprise and unease, all eyes flickering to where Belle sat with her hands clasped tightly together on her lap.

"Why does it want Rumple?" the younger brunette finally asked, weary. Regina shook her head.

"It didn't say. I'm not suggesting we just hand him over, but the box the demons were trapped in _had_ been sent to Gold's address. Perhaps he may have some idea as to how we can defeat it permanently." When Belle only pursed her lips, she continued, "I was hoping you would know how to locate him."

"I do," she finally admitted, sighing. "He emailed me a few times. I never responded, of course, but I can contact him that way if I must."

"And I still have Ingrid's scroll. It will give him the ability to step back through the town line into Storybrooke." Regina nodded in contemplation. "Can you ask him to return immediately?"

"I can," the younger brunette said carefully, her voice unhappy. Leroy sent her a sympathetic look to which she managed a half smile in reply. "I suppose I can use the dagger to keep him in line once he returns."

"I wouldn't ask this of you if there was any other way," Regina said honestly.

"I know." Belle smiled and shrugged it off, her eyes dull but determined nonetheless as she retrieved her cellphone and opened up her email. "I'll contact him now. Should I tell him the truth, or simply pretend that I want to give him another chance?"

Eyebrows rose throughout the room. Regina looked mildly impressed.

"Bookworm's got teeth," she murmured approvingly.

"Uh, _lie,_ of course," Ruby interjected. "Come on, we all know Gold. He won't come back if he knows his life's in danger."

Belle just nodded and ducked her head, tapping away at her phone. Nova put a supportive hand on the woman's shoulder as she sent the email to Rumplestiltskin.

* * *

They didn't have to wait long. Gold had responded within the hour and was immediately on his way, giving them a time estimate of seven hours based on his departure from New York. Belle didn't say much else about his email reply, though from the pinched look on her face it was obvious that she didn't look forward to his arrival. She, Regina, August, and Tinkerbell eventually made their way to the town line once his arrival time neared. It was late into the night by this point and they were all hopped up on caffeine, wanting to be awake and alert just in case anything happened.

"She'll be fine," Tink murmured when she noticed Regina's restless foot tapping from where she stood leaning against the Benz. Everyone who hadn't gone with them to deal with Gold had ended up moving into Emma's room despite Whale's protests. "They'll all protect her with their lives."

"I would prefer it if _no one's_ life was in danger," Regina muttered, checking her watch for the tenth time. Louder she growled, "What's taking him so long?"

"He'll be here," Belle said, hunkering down a little more in her double breasted coat, shivering against the night air. The others silently braced themselves against the cold as well.

It was another fifteen minutes before they finally saw headlights in the distance, a taxi approaching at a quick speed. It eventually slowed to a stop just a few yards from the town line, idling as an arm reached between the headrests of the front seat to pay the driver with a wad of cash. As the backdoor popped open, Regina heard Belle suck in a breath next to her.

"We can send him back over the line as soon as the demon is defeated," Regina murmured under her breath. Belle stood rigid but didn't respond, eyes glued to Gold as the man eased out of the taxi and shut the door, leaning heavily on his cane as if stiff from the long ride. He stepped aside and stood by the edge of the road as the vehicle turned itself around and headed back the way it came, watching it rumble off into the distance. When it was far enough away, he turned towards the town line and peered anxiously in their direction, unable to see them through the town's barrier.

Regina had to admit, he looked sad and desperate.

"Belle?" he called out tentatively, shuffling closer, one hand clutching his cane so tightly that his knuckles were white, while the other hand fiddled anxiously with the wedding band on his finger. Belle still wore hers - she'd never taken it off. "Are you there, Belle?"

Regina stepped forward, Ingrid's scroll in her hand. She turned her head towards Belle, waiting for the younger woman's nod before tossing the scroll across the line. It rolled to a stop by Gold's shoe, startling him slightly, as if he'd had doubts as to whether or not he would actually be granted access back into town. With a sharp intake of breath, he scooped the scroll up, clutched it to his chest, and limped his way over the line.

The powers of the Dark One returned to him in a rush that left him lightheaded and breathless, almost giddy with the sheer power filling his body. He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes until he reopened them, blinking in the small group of people now revealed to him.

The first person he saw was Regina, the distaste clear in her cold eyes despite the bored look she'd plastered to her face. Next to her stood Tinkerbell and August, the former clutching her wand and the latter equipped with what looked to be the Sheriff's handgun. Finally - just a few paces behind them and leaning heavily against Regina's Benz - was his wife.

"Belle," he said again, his voice full of yearning as he took a step towards her on strong legs that no longer required a cane to walk. Regina and her temporary henchmen didn't make a move to stop him, but he froze in place nonetheless at Belle's sharp _"Stop,"_ limbs quivering against an invisible force.

Slowly, Belle took her hand out from within her jacket. Gold's face tightened at the sight of his dagger clutched against her chest.

"Belle, please-"

"Don't speak," she commanded, expression pained but determined. "You're not here because I forgive you. You're here because we need your help."

His face twisted into one of betrayed confusion, mouth moving without actual sound, wishing desperately to embrace his wife after many long weeks of lonely despair. He'd managed to track down Ursula and take refuge in her little apartment in New York, but the woman refused to entertain his notions of sneaking back into Storybrooke and basically delegated him to sitting in the corner armchair living off of ramen and looking miserable. She'd been relieved, to say the least, when Gold received the email and left New York immediately.

Ignoring his wounded look, Regina took the small box from the backseat of the car and brought it forward. It was useless to them now, but she'd retrieved it from the woods nonetheless, hoping Gold would recognize it and know what to do about it.

"This," she said, shoving it into his hands, "was unleashed in Storybrooke. The seven demons have become one, somehow, and they've stolen my form too. What do you know?"

When he glared at her, Belle clutched the dagger a little harder and commanded, "Tell her."

Reluctantly, Gold examined the box in his hand, rubbing the soot away to reveal the scratched out symbols that had once adorned the wooden surface. There was instant recognition in his eyes, but he hesitated a long moment before sighing heavily.

"The seven sins. I trapped them in this box myself."

Regina frowned. "Why?"

"Why not?" Gold shrugged dismissively. "I perceived their growing power as a threat, so I trapped them away. It was many years ago and in another realm."

"If you put them in the box then you can do it again."

"I'm afraid not, dearie." Gold gave a patronizing smile at that point. He didn't enjoy disappointing Belle, but agitating Regina was always a joy. "This box is special - much like Pandora's. Now that it's broken, there's nothing I can do. If what you say is true and they've grown strong enough to join and become one, well… I hate to admit it, but I'm no match for the demon."

"There has to be _something_ you can do," Regina growled, frustration bubbling up within her. Emma's life was in danger and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Of course, her other choice was to hand over Rumplestiltskin to the demon and hope that it kept its promise and left them alone, but Regina knew better than to trust the word of a demon.

Gold seemed to consider something for a moment before sniffing. "Hope."

Regina wanted to strangle him. "If I wanted to hear some bullshit speech about hope, I would have gone to the Charmings-"

"No, your Majesty. _Hope._ The eighth spirit that had been in the box. Where there are the seven sins, there is also Hope. The Light to balance the Darkness."

Regina glanced sideways, catching Belle's eye. The younger brunette's brow was furrowed in thought.

"We haven't seen any other being around other than the demons. Are you sure Hope was in the box with them?"

"As I said, Hope goes wherever the demons are. I imagine she's somewhere." Gold readjusted his grip on his cane, clutching it for comfort and familiarity despite his limp being nonexistent in the presence of magic. "If you have no further need of me…"

He turned towards Belle, who immediately stiffened up and wielded the dagger as if to keep him away. With his hands held out placatingly, he lowered his voice, speaking only to her. "Belle, I don't expect you to forgive me, but please believe me when I say you're in danger. You need to leave Storybrooke."

"I'm not leaving my friends, Rumple." She sidestepped to place herself closer to Regina and the others, distrust clear in her expression.

"He's hiding something," Tink said after a moment, scowling in realization. Both brunette women turned accusing eyes on Gold.

"Tell us," Belle demanded. Gold breathed out heavily, shoulders sagging ever so slightly.

"The demons want revenge. They want power." He made a weak gesture towards himself. "They want to steal the power of the Dark One. That's why I trapped them and sent them away."

"Can they?" Regina stiffened, wondering if the demon knew they were here with Gold right now. "Are they able to do that?"

"If it's grown powerful enough, yes, I imagine it can."

"You wouldn't be the Dark One anymore?" The question came from Belle, her voice almost hesitantly curious. Tink regarded the brunette with a weary look.

"As much as I hate Rumplestiltskin, I think the demon possessing the powers of a Dark One would be far more dangerous to us all."

"Agreed. We can't let it take his power," Regina muttered, her glare deepening when August visibly stiffened beside her.

"Are you forgetting the part where the demon kills Emma if we don't hand over the imp?"

"Yes, lecture me when my soulmate's life is on the line, as if I weren't painfully aware," Regina snapped, leaning threateningly in his direction so that he instinctively took a step back. "Be thankful that I am no longer the person I used to be or I would take Emma and Henry out of Storybrooke and leave you all to deal with this mess yourselves."

She wouldn't, of course. Not anymore. But she knows it's what she would have done once upon a time and a small part of her relishes the thought. If only she were still that selfish, that heartless. It would have been the easier path.

"So what do we do?" Tinkerbell asked, fiddling nervously with her wand. She was antsy, rightly so, but it was Regina who first noticed the slight drop in temperature. Her hairs stood on end and she immediately looked to Gold, who stared back at her in apprehension.

"Go! Run!" She gestured for him to cross the line while whipping back around to face August and Tinkerbell. "Get back to the hospital and protect Emma at all costs!" Tinkerbell grabbed the man and teleported them away without hesitation as Gold rushed to cross the town line, intent on passing through the barrier that would safely keep him out of the demon's reach. He had a foot over the line when he heard Regina and Belle shout out in alarm.

"Go ahead, flee," the Evil Queen's voice purred. He turned slowly on his heel, narrowed eyes taking in the sight before him. Regina lay a few yards away, wincing and picking herself up off the ground where she'd been thrown. Belle stood frozen as the Evil Queen embraced her from behind, one arm wrapped securely around her waist, the other hand holding her by her throat.

"Belle," he breathed out, fingers twitching. The demon clucked its tongue and dug its fingers a little tighter into Belle's neck.

"No sudden moves, Rumplestiltskin. I'd hate to have to snap her pretty little neck."

He straightened himself, pulling his foot away from the line and resting his hands on his cane with feigned nonchalance. The tense look of worry gave him away. "What do you want?"

"Don't play stupid now. It doesn't suit you." The demon plucked the dagger from Belle's hand and magicked it away, safely out of sight. "You know exactly what I want, just like I know exactly what you want. The question is, what are you willing to sacrifice for it?"

Gold said nothing, his teeth gritting together as the demon experimentally dug in its fingers and coaxed a strangled whimper from Belle. From the corner of his eye, he saw Regina inching closer.

"Let's make a deal, Rumplestiltskin," the demon purred.

"Gold, _don't,"_ Regina warned.

"I believe you lost the right to tell me what to do when you decided to trick me into returning without considering the consequences, _your Majesty,"_ he snarled back, not even sparing her a glance as he waved his hand and magically froze her body in place. "Your offer, demon?"

The demon laughed, its borrowed voice deep and wicked. It reminded him of the Evil Queen he'd once been so proud to call his student, the bitter and broken woman he'd so carefully raised. Now it only made him feel a twinge of regret. "Your precious _Belle,"_ it mockingly pouted her name, "for your powers. I even promise you'll survive."

"Rumple-" Belle began, but the rest of her words were choked off with another squeeze of the demon's hand. Gold gave her a somber look, his eyes dull and resigned. He'd made his choice the moment her large, terrified eyes looked to him for help, but he forced the words through his teeth nonetheless before his selfish side had the chance to reconsider, knowing full well that if given too long to decide, he would have somehow managed to talk himself into choosing power once more.

"Deal," he said.

"Gold!" Regina shouted, but she was trapped and helpless, unable to do anything but watch as the demon threw Belle aside and lunged, slamming bodily into Gold with a jerk of its arm. She saw the gleam of the Dark One's dagger only moments before it plunged into the man's shoulder, buried to the hilt. Gold hissed through his teeth, the sound quickly turning into a wheezing gasp as the dagger pulsed black and unleashed a swirl of darkness that spun violently around them, hiding them from view in a miniature tornado of shadows.

The moment Regina's body unfroze, she knew it was over.

The demon was gone in a swirl of black smoke, and Gold collapsed to the ground.

"Rumple!" Belle scrambled across the asphalt to where he lay on his back, his eyes squeezed shut and his face contorted in pain. Regina had no sympathy for the man - at least he was alive, which was more than they could say for every other ex Dark One.

"Belle," he gasped, wincing as she pressed her hands down on his shoulder wound to stem the bleeding. His rough hands fumbled to land on top of hers, clinging to her as if she might leave him otherwise. "Belle, I'm sorry-"

"You gave up your powers for me," she whispered, unable to keep the disbelief from her voice. He smiled grimly up at her, eyes glazed - though from pain or from emotion, she wasn't yet sure.

"I almost didn't," he admitted, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry. You were right, I hadn't changed. You deserve so much better, Belle."

"But you _did_ change. Maybe not by a lot, but you did the right thing this time. You didn't choose power over me. That's all I ever wanted, Rumple. I just wanted you to choose love over power."

He blinked up at her, pale and clammy but with eyes full of desperate hope.

"Do you forgive me?"

"I forgive you," she whispered, a soft promise. She brushed the damp hair from his forehead with her free hand, her lips pulling into a sad smile. "We have a lot we need to talk about soon… but I forgive you."

He nodded shakily, eyes fluttering shut with exhaustion. His wound wasn't gushing but he'd lost a fair amount of blood, the chest of his black dress coat soaked to the touch. Belle turned to find Regina staring at them with an unreadable expression.

"Regina, please," she called out. She didn't need to specify anything. The older brunette simply gave a quick, curt nod of her head and - with a flick of her wrist - they were all transported back to the hospital.

Belle and Gold landed on a gurney in the middle of the emergency wing where they would get immediate assistance, while Regina herself reappeared in Emma's recovery room. To her relief, the room was packed with familiar faces, everyone armed and on guard while Emma still lay asleep in the bed, blissfully unaware of what was happening around her.

"What happened?" Tink asked, she and August jumping to their feet and glancing Regina over for any signs of a fight. She waved off their concern with brooding irritation.

"Belle is fine, but Gold is getting medical attention as we speak. The bastard gave up his powers to protect her."

"So he's…" Tink trailed off, eyes widening. Snow stood up from where she'd been sitting in a chair next to Emma's bed, her expression one of growing apprehension.

"Are you saying that-"

"The demon is now also the Dark One," Regina finished, her tone hard. The feeling of disbelief - of utter failure - settled over the room like a heavy blanket, weighing them down and smothering the air. Nova seemed to shrink in Leroy's arms while Snow reached back to clasp David's hand for support.

"The one time he decides to not be a coward," August muttered, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. Regina crossed her arms tightly across her stomach and glared at a spot on the floor, silent. After a few minutes of quiet tension, David finally spoke up.

"So what do we do?"

"Gold said something about an eighth spirit - Hope - having been trapped in the box with the demons. It's apparently our only option at this point."

"Do we know where it is? Or how to use it against the demons?"

"I have no clue, Charming." She growled under her breath, fingers twitching as frustration bubbled beneath the surface, a bitter and helpless feeling that made her want to smash something and scream out her anger. Instead, she said, "Everyone out."

Most of the others stood and left for the lounge again in silence, grudgingly understanding Regina's desire to have some privacy with her wounded soulmate. Snow and David hesitated, not wanting to leave their daughter's side. The demon may no longer have reason to come after Emma, but it was also now in possession of the Dark One's powers.

"Go. I'll put up protection spells and stay by her side," she muttered, gently perching herself on the edge of the hospital bed. "I need you to go back to the house and bring Henry here. I'd rather have him close. I don't know what the demon will do now, and the barrier on the house may not withstand its new powers."

"Are you sure this is the best place for him and Neal?" Snow asked softly, not trying to question the older brunette but simply worrying for their children. Regina sighed.

"At this point, the safest place for him is to be surrounded by us." She shook her head a little. "Besides, it doesn't look like the demon's influence has been affecting any new people. Most of the hospital staff are here and the building is under control. I'd feel better if Henry and Neal were with us where we can protect them best."

After a moment's hesitation, Snow nodded in support, giving Regina's arm a quick squeeze on her way out. David leaned over to plant a soft kiss atop Regina's head, meeting her wide eyes and giving her a soft twitch of a smile before shutting the door behind him. Staring after him a moment, somewhat surprised that her following thought was that of missing her own father, she shook her head and stood, moving about the room to put up her protection spells.

"Hey," a faint voice murmured from the bed, rough and scratchy from sleep. Regina turned to see Emma's head tilted in her direction, tired green eyes crinkled with a lazy smile.

"Hey." The brunette returned to the edge of the bed, gently clasping the blonde's limp hand within hers and giving the slightly calloused fingers a squeeze. "How are you feeling?"

"Water?" Emma croaked, somewhat apologetically. Regina grabbed the cup of water and held it as Emma sucked down a few mouthfuls through the straw. When she spoke next, her voice was considerably less shredded. "I'm okay. A bit fluffy in the head. I think they put more painkiller in my IV."

"I imagine you need it," Regina murmured, smiling faintly as she brushed blonde strands of damp hair off Emma's forehead. "If I never see you in a hospital bed again, it'll be too soon."

Emma chuckled, wincing at the movement. "Agreed. How did it go? Did you guys find Gold?"

"We did."

"And?"

"It's… complicated. I'll tell you later. Right now, I'd like to try mending you up a little bit with magic before Henry gets here."

"Henry's coming?" Emma's expression brightened up a little, but her smile immediately dropped. "Wait, why? Is it safe to take him out of the mansion?"

"I'd prefer to have him here with us." Regina tugged the blanket down and gently lifted Emma's scrubs up to her chest to reveal the bandaging on her stomach. "Hold still. This might be uncomfortable."

She gently rested her hands flat over the covered wounds, a faintly purple glow lighting up her palms as she set to work. Emma sighed and let her head slump back into the pillow, eyes fluttering shut as the magic began mending her stitches, warmth seeping into her flesh and tingling across her skin. Her wound was being healed from the outside in, and though it couldn't quite reach the internal damage, it considerably lessened her pain.

"Thank you," she breathed out when Regina had done all she could. The brunette magicked her gauze and bandages away to reveal smooth, undamaged flesh, marred only by a reddish, purplish bruise where her stab wound originally was.

"You're welcome, dear. You should try to fit in another nap until Henry gets here. You need all the rest you can get."

Emma wiggled on the bed to make room, gently patting the spot beside her. "I'd rest easier if I had you to cuddle with."

Regina had no complaints, just climbed in next to her and opened her arms to her suddenly very snuggly soulmate. The blonde was naturally taller and more broad shoulder than she was, but at that moment, Emma curled up into a small form and fit into Regina's embrace with her head tucked in against her neck and her arms coiled around her waist.

"You'll tell me everything later? After Henry gets here?"

"I will, I promise."

"Okay." Emma nestled her face in a little closer, breathing deeply of the brunette's natural scent and warmth, already drowsy again from the IV drip and ready to nod off. She mumbled something into Regina's neck, her words muffled, but it sounded vaguely like a declaration of love. Regina stroked her blonde hair until the younger woman was snoring softly.

"As do I, Emma," she whispered, eyes closing as she sighed into the quiet of the room, punctuated only by the soft beeps and hums of the machines around them. "I wish I knew how to find Hope. I wish I knew how to protect you and Henry."


	18. The Queen is Dead

_A dark curse is cast._

* * *

The hospital was quiet once Snow and David returned with Henry and Neal. With the main family in Emma's room and the rest of the team recuperating in the lounge, the staff was left to deal with the rest of Storybrooke in relative peace. There were no new incoming patients and it seemed things had calmed down, at least for the moment. Whatever the demon was up to, it had very little to do with them.

"So our only choice now is to find Hope?" Henry questioned, eager to help now that he was reunited with the group. "But Grandpa didn't say how we could find her?"

Both his mothers winced at the way he referred to Rumplestiltskin but nodded in agreement.

"That, or we find the dagger," Snow said. Regina frowned.

"It would certainly be easier to take control of the demon via the dagger. Unfortunately, I don't see how we can get our hands on it. The Dark Ones have always taken great care to hide or protect their dagger."

"So we find Hope," David said decisively, clapping his hands together. "Where should we start?"

"I don't know, Charming." Regina shot him a look of impatience. "As I've said before, she could be anywhere in Storybrooke."

"We'll send everyone out in search parties, then. She has to be somewhere."

"And risk getting attacked?" Snow interrupted, furrowing her brow at her husband. "The demon will come after us if it knows we're searching for Hope. For all we know, it already knows and is going after Hope itself."

"All the more reason for us to find her first," David insisted. "Gold said she's the only one that can help us defeat it for good."

"That's great and all," Emma said, finally speaking up after watching her family bicker back and forth for the past half an hour, "but it's getting late and as far as I can tell, we can afford to rest for the night. No more attacks have happened and I know we all desperately need some sleep."

"Emma's right." Regina put an arm around Henry and hugged her son to her while regarding the Charmings where they sat on the couch with Neal in their arms. "We all need to rest. The demon's not interested in us right now. Tinkerbell and I will put up more wards around the hospital and then we all need to sleep. We can regroup in the morning."

David and Snow murmured their reluctant agreements, lingering just long enough to kiss Emma and give Henry a hug before returning to the lounge to relay the plan to the others. Henry moved himself onto the hospital bed and leaned into Emma's arm as Regina stood and moved to the door.

"I'll be back as soon as Tinkerbell and I are done," she promised, and then she was gone.

"How are you feeling, Ma?" Henry's touch was gentle as he shifted to stretch out his legs next to her, leaning back against the reclined bed with one arm around her shoulders. It was startling how quickly her son was growing. Emma just sighed and relaxed back against him, mindful of the IV in her arm.

"A lot better than before. Your mom healed the worst of my wounds."

He nodded, eyes flickering down to her belly. "Did you really teleport behind the demon and stab it with a knife?" he asked after a moment, voice soft with awe. Emma snorted.

"Did David tell you that?" He nodded. "Yeah, I did. It wasn't as badass as you seem to think it is. I got stabbed right back, you know."

"Sorry." He grimaced and laid a hand softly over her stomach, having been shown the lingering discolouring on her otherwise mostly healed flesh earlier. "I'm glad you're okay."

"You and me both, kid."

"So… any ideas on how we can find Hope?"

"Not a clue. You?"

He furrowed his brow, eyes going distant as he thought long and hard. He looked a lot like Regina did whenever the brunette frowned and concentrated on something, and the familiar expression had Emma smiling with fondness.

"When the seven demons were first released from the box, they were really weak, right?"

"That's right."

"It took them days to grow stronger and start to influence other people."

"Yeah."

"So what if the same thing is true for Hope? Maybe she started out weak, and she's trying to get stronger?"

"Huh." Emma wrinkled her brow. "If she's like the demons, she would have to influence people and feed off of their emotions, right?"

"Right. But there hasn't really been a lot of hopefulness going on, just the demons' bad influence. So maybe she's still weak and in hiding?"

"That'd make sense. So where would a weak light spirit hide?"

"Somewhere with light magic?" Henry suggested, lifting a brow at her. Emma made a face.

"There's magic at the well, but I don't think it's necessarily light magic."

"There's gotta be other places in Storybrooke that have traces of light magic." He leaned back into the pillow to consider the idea when the door opened, Regina slipping back inside with a newfound weariness about her.

"Hey," Emma greeted softly, holding out a hand. Regina didn't hesitate to take up the remaining space on the blonde's other side, curling up close and wrapping an arm around her waist as if to make sure they would not be separated again anytime soon. "You alright?"

"Just tired," the brunette admitted with a stifled yawn. "Tinkerbell and I used up most of our magic reserves to ward the hospital and set up charms to alert us if the demon or its beasts return. We should be safe here for the night."

"Good. Get some sleep, then. You look exhausted."

"Mm." Regina reached over Emma to give Henry's hand a squeeze before snuggling down and closing her eyes, going quiet with even breaths just a moment later.

"Mom's really beat," Henry murmured, reaching out to gently brush the hair out of Regina's face and tuck it behind her ear. Emma hummed, just content to have her soulmate and her son cuddled up with her in bed.

"We all are; it's been a long week. Get some sleep, Hen. We'll continue this discussion in the morning, okay?"

"Kay. Night, Ma."

"Night, kid."

He, too, nestled his head in against her shoulder and drifted off faster than he had all week, finally able to relax now that his mothers were here and safe.

* * *

It was around three in the morning when a flicker of light had Emma stirring from sleep. She squinted around the dark room, head lifting just a little from the pillow, her throat too dry and scratchy to swallow. There was a glass and a pitcher of water on the side table, but her arms were pinned beneath Regina and Henry's bodies, numb and tingly.

"Hey there," a voice whispered from the doorway. Emma blinked at the nurse who had tended to her earlier that day, an older woman with a warm smile and kind eyes. The nurse tiptoed over and did a routine check of the machines and her IV drip, beaming at the sight of Emma's family snuggled up with her. She, unlike many of the other personnel, did not fear the once Evil Queen and looked upon the three in the bed quite fondly. "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay," Emma rasped, prompting the nurse to hold up a glass of water with a straw for her. The liquid was cool and soothing on its way down her throat and Emma gave a thankful smile when she'd had her fill. "Thanks."

"You just press that button there if you need anything, anytime." The nurse gave her knee a pat before slipping out again, shutting the door and leaving them in comfortable darkness once more. Emma relaxed into her pillow again, eyelids drooping as her body easily sunk back into the slumber it so desperately needed. The last thing she was vaguely aware of was a soft glimmer of light and a warmth spreading through her chest.

* * *

They woke slowly and peacefully that morning, if not uncomfortably. Emma groaned at the lack of bloodflow in her arms, stretching them out and trying to coax feeling back into them once Regina and Henry were no longer sleeping atop her. Ruby had arrived shortly afterwards with a breakfast delivery courtesy of Granny taking over the hospital's cafeteria kitchen, arms laden with trays of fresh eggs, sausage, and fruit.

"How are you feeling, Rubes?" Emma asked as she shoved a sausage into her mouth, almost moaning at the taste of hot, greasy food. Ruby showed off her lack of bandages, of which she'd been covered with only a day ago.

"All healed up. Perks of being a werewolf." She grinned a toothy grin, which quickly melted into a smile when Grayson rolled into the room in his wheelchair, still awkwardly bumping into doorframes as he did so.

"There's our Big Bad Wolf!" Emma beamed, leaning over to offer the man her fist. For all the hell they'd been through these past few days, it felt like ages since she'd seen him last, somewhere other than in a hospital bed anyway. Grayson just chuckled and bumped his knuckles against hers with a little shake of his head.

"Glad you're still kicking, Sheriff. I hear you did some fancy teleporty-stabby tricks."

"Aw, it was nothing. Good to see you moving around. When will you be out of the chair?"

"Soon as the holes in my organs heal shut." He grinned wolfishly at Emma's cackle, the two sharing an odd camaraderie at having been laid up in the same hospital for life threatening injuries, it seemed. Regina and Ruby shared a look - one that was half exasperated and half fond of their other halves.

"So, do we have a new gameplan?" Ruby asked, settling behind Grayson's chair and scratching gently at his head, fingers threading through his hair and over his scalp. His eyes fell shut and he leaned back into the touch with a content sigh. Emma half expected him to whine and thump his foot like a puppy dog (neither of which happened, much to her disappointment.)

"Not… at the moment," Regina admitted after a moment, frowning. "I thought I might do some research. Hope will be drawn to anywhere that has the most light magic; surely there's somewhere in Storybrooke that fits the description."

"Well, we're here when you need us," Ruby said with a nod. "Until then, I think Granny and I will stay here at the hospital, keep things under control and whatnot."

"And the others?"

"Sticking around, most likely. Strength in numbers and all that. Now that the demon got what it wanted, I think we're all _more_ leary of it than ever."

"Bad guys generally don't stop at winning battles; they want to conquer the entire war," Grayson murmured, silvery eyes blinking open once Ruby stopped her ministrations. "Besides, becoming the Dark One can't be its end goal, right? It's gotta be after something else."

"Killing Hope, for one," Regina muttered, sighing.

"What else could it possibly want?" Henry asked, brows wrinkling together.

"To watch the world burn?" Emma shrugged. "Who knows, kid. All we know is that the demon is dangerous and trapped in Storybrooke, which means it's gotta go."

Regina stood then, straightening out her shirt and frowning down briefly at the permanent creases in them. Leave it to her to be concerned about her wardrobe at a time like this, Emma thought fondly.

"The barriers will have likely worn off by now. I'm going to go reinforce them with Tinkerbell, then we'll bring back a few books from my vault and start brainstorming," Regina said, turning to look at her girlfriend and son still sitting on the bed. "Will you two be fine here until then?"

"Why don't I come with you two?" Emma offered, a crease of concern appearing on her brow. Regina smoothed it away with a brush of her fingers and a soft smile.

"I'd feel better if you stayed here with the others." Her other hand briefly smoothed down Henry's hair and the message was clear; protect our son.

"Fine," Emma relented with a sigh, fingers loosely circling Regina's wrist. "Be careful, okay?"

"I'll be careful, I promise." Ignoring the werewolves behind her, Regina leaned in to press a kiss to Emma's forehead, then Henry's. "See you soon."

With a brief nod to Ruby and Grayson, the brunette was gone, sweeping out of the room with all the flourish of a Queen. Emma watched her go and Grayson chuckled at the look on her face.

"Cheer up, sheriff. She'll be back before you know it."

"Easy for you to say. Your girlfriend's right here."

Ruby spluttered. "Wait, wha-"

"You can't have gone through all the shit we've just gone through and not be together right now," Emma pointed out, her son nodding emphatically.

"Yeah, but, I mean, we-" Ruby's hands flailed about, pink tinging her cheeks. Grayson, for his part, just grinned in amusement, taking no offence whatsoever. "No one said anything about _girlfriends_ and _boyfriends-"_

"Call it what you want, Rubes, you two are so dating."

The brunette groaned and blushed, swatting Grayson on the chest for his shit eating grin but then immediately looking regretful as he laughed and cringed in pain all at the same time.

"Take it easy, I've come too far to only die now because you made me laugh," he wheezed, hands cradling his torso as his laughter only sent another shock of discomfort through his body. Ruby rubbed at his shoulder in apology.

"Emma-" The door nudged open again and Regina stuck her head in, blinking momentarily at the spectacle of Grayson hunched over in his chair and Ruby fussing over him before her dark eyes landed on the blonde.

"That was quick," Emma joked, smiling. "Did you forget something?"

"I actually wanted to speak to you about something first. Can we talk outside?"

"Sure." With a shrug, the blonde slid off the bed - moving only somewhat gingerly as her wounds were a lingering discomfort - and ruffled Henry's hair before leaving him to entertain the werewolves. Regina was already striding down the hall and Emma hurried to follow.

"Mind poofing me into some real clothes?" she asked, plucking at her scrubs with a frown. Regina gave a flick of her hand and Emma was magicked into something more familiar - skinny jeans and a sweater with a red jacket on top. The blonde looked down at herself with a smile.

"Hey! My clothes from yesterday. I guess the originals were too ruined to be saved." She shook away the mental image of her old clothes, soaked in her blood and cut away from her body when she'd been on the operating table. These were clean and good as new. "Thanks."

Regina just hummed, moving them away from the room they'd been staying in. Someone coming down hall towards them made her pause and she whirled around, linking her arm with Emma's and pulling her around the corner before the blonde could see who it was, leading her down another corridor and back around until they took the long route to the main entrance.

"Where are we going? I thought you needed to reinforce the barrier with Tink."

"I do, but I wanted to speak to you outside first. It's… important."

"Regina?" The tone of voice struck a note of nervousness in the blonde. Normally when people said that phrase, someone got dumped. She frantically thought back to see if she'd done anything wrong in the past few hours but nothing came to mind. "Is everything okay?"

They were out of the entrance doors and moving towards the street now. Emma dashed forward to grab Regina's wrist and halt her progress.

"Hey, what's going on?"

The brunette had no choice but to turn around and face her, and when she did, Emma's eyes fell upon a dark stain edging out onto the chest of her blouse from beneath her jacket.

"You're hurt! What happened? Who did this to you?" Emma grabbed her by the shoulders, fingers unintentionally digging into her flesh as she realized how familiar this all felt. "The demon did this, didn't it? It came after you again!"

Wincing slightly, one hand hovering over the hidden wound on her chest as if to protect it, Regina grasped Emma's forearm with her other hand. "It's okay, Emma. It's not as bad as it looks."

"You're bleeding through your shirt, Regina!"

"Emma, listen, please. I need you to do something for me."

"Anything. What is it?" Green eyes were wide, desperate to do whatever it was that would aid the brunette. Regina relaxed in her arms somewhat, managing a small smile.

"It's a spell. A protective barrier of sorts, much more powerful than what Tinkerbell would have been able to help me with. I need you to recite your half of the incantation for it."

"I can do that." Emma straightened up, eyeing the blood stain on Regina's shirt warily before squaring her shoulders. "Let's do this, then. And then we'll get that looked at later."

"Of course." Reaching out, Regina clasped Emma's hands within hers, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "Once I begin my half of the incantation, I need you to finish it with: _Sum tuus. Ego dedi vobis potestatem._ Can you remember that?"

Emma repeated it quickly, nodding her head as the unfamiliar words rolled from her tongue. "Yeah, sure, simple enough."

"Good." She paused, then, brown eyes softening as her lips lifted into another small smile. "Thank you for helping me, Emma. Are you ready?"

The blonde nodded in the affirmative. Regina cleared her throat and began, voice dropping into something huskier than ever, smooth and deep like a shot of whiskey. Purple flared to life within her eyes as the magic took hold of them, cementing their hands together until the incantation was complete.

 _"Da mihi cor tuum,"_ Regina began, her voice a purr. _"Da mihi potestatem super vos."_

Without faltering, Emma echoed her end of the spell. _"Sum tuus. Ego dedi vobis potestatem."_

A warmth rushed over them as the spell took hold, a faint light glowing over their conjoined hands before fading away and releasing them. Blinking and feeling an odd buzz over her body, Emma gave a baffled smile.

"That felt weird. Did it work?"

Slowly, sensually, Regina's hand snaked up between their bodies and pressed flat against Emma's breast, a finger tapping her chest just over where her heart was located.

"Oh, yes, it worked perfectly." She leaned forward, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss, her teeth tugging on Emma's lower lip as they came apart. "Now there's one more thing I need you to do, love…"

Emma's eyelids drooped, her breathing shallow as her gaze flickered down to those plump red lips she adored so much. "Yeah?"

"Emma!" Regina shouted - except it wasn't coming from the Regina in front of her. Turning her head towards the hospital entrance in surprise, she saw a second Regina running out with Tinkerbell on her trail, Snow and David and the others just behind them, alarm on their faces.

The Regina in her arms curled further into her loose embrace.

"Regi-?"

"Protect me, Emma," the one in her arms said. Emma immediately pushed her behind her and planted herself in the way as the others neared, weapons in hand. The second Regina faltered only momentarily before coming to a stop a few yards away, pulling Henry safely behind her.

"Emma, that's the demon!" she said, David and Snow protectively flanking her on either side. "She's not me! You need to get away from her, quickly!"

"I- I believe you," Emma said, her voice rising an octave with a tinge of fear.

"Then why are you protecting her?" David questioned, gripping his sword as if prepared to lunge as soon as his daughter was out of the way.

"Get out of the way, Emma," Snow added, an arrow already notched in her bow.

"I can't." A muscle twitched along the column of Emma's neck. Her entire body tensed, but no matter how much she tried to will herself to move, she remained firmly in place. "I can't move my body."

"Of course not, dear. You gave control of your body to me." Then Regina - the demon - behind her purred, arms loosely embracing Emma in a perverse hug. To the real Regina's horror, the demon pressed a delicate kiss to the side of the blonde's neck. "So this is what it's like to own the Savior. You must have a lot of fun with this one, Regina."

"Get your hands off her," Regina snarled, jealousy flaring at the sight. Delighted at her reaction, the demon laughed, the sound sending a shiver down Emma's spine.

"Emma, take us to the well."

Unable to resist the command, Emma flicked her hand, white smoke coiling up around her and the demon's body and spiriting them away. The last thing she heard was everyone screaming her name, and then she found herself stumbling next to the old well in the woods. The demon smiled and wandered over to where a myriad of ingredients lined the edge of the well, already sifting through them and dumping various items over the edge.

"What do you want with me?" Emma gasped, shaking off the dizziness as the control spell from earlier kept her rooted to the spot, unable to escape.

"It was in the incantation, Savior. It's not my fault you don't understand Latin."

When Emma continued to stare at her, uncomprehending, the demon sighed heavily as if explaining was a waste of her precious time.

"Your heart, you fool."

"My…" Emma's hand moved to her chest in disbelief. The many ingredients lining the edge of the well now made sense. "You're- you're casting a dark curse!"

"The fact that Hope decided to take up residence in your heart makes it two birds with one stone," the demon giggled, hands gesticulating gleefully as she tossed in more ingredients. The fact that she continued to use Regina's appearance and voice made the sight all the more disturbing.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Your world is boring, Savior." Dark eyes rolled dramatically. "I have no desire to be trapped in this little bubble of magic for eternity. I think I'll start with the Enchanted Forest instead."

When she turned to glance over her shoulder, Emma was struggling in place, veins protruding and muscles trembling against the invisible force that kept her trapped.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic. I _can_ control the curse, you know. I've designed it so that it only takes me. The rest of this pathetic little town will remain here with their memories intact. Think of it this way, Savior; they'll all be safe and I'll be gone in another world. That's what you want, isn't it? To protect everyone? The only cost is your heart."

"I don't think so." Regina, the real Regina, appeared in a plume of purple smoke, the others behind her, hands linked in a long chain of people. She looked tired, the magical drain heavy from teleporting so many people all at once, but Snow and David supported her from either side.

"Emma, dearest, I hear you've been practicing your magic. Put up a barrier around us," the demon commanded. With a flick of Emma's hand, a gold-tinted barrier rose up, shielding them and the well from the others. Regina's immediate reaction was to lob a fireball which fizzled out uselessly against the impenetrable barrier. With a hiss of frustration, the brunette set her hands upon its surface and tried to break it with her own magic.

"Oh, don't strain yourself. Your magic can't overpower that of the child of True Love." The demon grinned, peeking into the well before clapping her hands together gleefully. "Oh! It's ready. Come here, Savior. It's time for the final ingredient."

"No!" Regina screamed, banging her fists against the shield to little avail, her own magic fizzling on her fingertips and having absolutely no effect against Emma's gold barrier. "Emma, fight it! Stop!"

Helpless, Emma took uneven steps towards the demon until they both stood next to the well. As the demon lifted a hand with her fingers splayed, she idly wondered if her heart might be protected by True Love like it was when Cora once tried to rip it out. She prayed that it was.

"Don't look so sad," the demon said in a mock pout, red lower lip jutted out as she tisked in fake sympathy. "Your sacrifice won't be in vain, love. The others will be safe once I'm gone. They can finally live out their happily ever afters."

She smiled, feral, and plunged her hand into Emma's chest. The blonde choked out a gasp as her name was screamed from the outside of the barrier, voices rising up in cries of outrage. Fingers closed around her heart and tugged - the tug became a harsh yank when it would not move. Some part of her sighed with relief even as she cried out against the pain.

"Must you make everything difficult?" the demon grunted, pulling fiercely again before finally withdrawing her hand with a scowl. For a moment, Emma's chest glowed with a soft golden light. The demon sneered at the sight, her next words directed at Emma's chest. "You think you're so clever, don't you, Hope? Well, you're still too weak to fight me, and you can't do anything against me once I'm in another world."

Whipping around, the demon's dark eyes skimmed over the crowd still banging against the barrier before her eyes landed on Regina.

"Emma," she snapped out, the blonde stiffening to attention once more. "Bring Regina into our barrier."

"No!" Emma cried, even as her hand shot out of its own accord and gestured in their direction. Regina was enveloped in a swirl of white smoke, reappearing inside the barrier next to the blonde. She threw up her hands in a defensive gesture, ready to fend off the demon.

"Fight it, Emma," she said, chancing a sideways glance to meet terrified green eyes.

"Regina, run," came the whisper. The demon beamed.

"Take her heart."

"Emma!" David shouted, at the same time Snow cried out, "Emma, no!"

Before Regina could even comprehend defending herself against her soulmate, Emma's hand was in her chest. Brown eyes widened and her lips parted, exhaling shakily as fingers slid around the beating organ within her. A sob escaped Emma as she plucked the glowing red heart out, sending Regina stumbling with a gasp of pain. On the other side of the barrier, the others cried out at the sight of the organ cradled in Emma's hand.

"Good girl," the demon purred, clapping her hands together in delight. "Hold it out over the well, would you?"

"You have to fight it," Regina pleaded, a hand pressed to her chest where her heart was now missing. She moved forward and grasped the lapel of Emma's red leather jacket, clinging to her even as the blonde reached out and held her heart over the edge of the well. "Emma, you're stronger than this!"

"I can't," Emma sobbed, tendons visible against her neck and veins creeping upon her temples as her entire body shook, helpless and unyielding no matter how hard she tried to wrest back control of her body. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she turned her head towards where the demon watched just a few feet away. "Don't make me do this! _Please!_ I'll find a way to take out my own heart! Just don't make me do this!"

"That's very touching, Savior, but I don't have time for that," the demon sighed, absently inspecting her fingernails. "You should really be thankful. It's just one life to save the rest-"

"No, no, no," Emma cried desperately, tears blurring her vision. She knew what was coming, knew that there was nothing she could do about it. Terror gripped her heart and she fought with all her might, tried to will herself to shove the heart back into Regina's chest. Her body still ignored her. _"Please, no!"_

"Emma," Regina called to her, voice little more than a broken whisper. "Emma, look at me."

Green eyes met brown, both glazed with tears. When Regina smiled, it was one full of love and resignation.

 _"I'm sorry, Regina, I'm so, so sorry-"_

"Listen to me, it's not your fault."

"I screwed up. I should have known it wasn't you. I helped with her spell-"

"Emma, it's not your fault." Regina cupped her face, fingertips swiping at Emma's tears even as they kept flowing. "I don't blame you. It'll be okay, I promise."

"You can't- you can't promise that-"

"You'll be okay. Henry will be okay." Regina's lips twisted, smiling and yet wavering as she, too, cried. "That's all that matters to me. You'll both be okay."

"It's a beautiful day to cast a dark curse," the demon sang, watching them with a gleeful smile. Outside the barrier, the others cried out. Snow and David threw themselves at the barrier again and again. Henry sobbed, screaming, as Ruby clung to him to stop him from throwing his little body at the barrier. "Crush her heart, Emma."

"Regina," Emma sobbed, her fingers twitching and slowly tightening around the organ, the vein in her wrist bulging as she fought with everything she had. Regina just kept smiling, tears blurring her eyes as the pain in her chest grew.

"It's okay, Emma. Take care of Henry for me. I love you."

For a moment, they were standing at the town line again, hands clasped, cheeks wet.

 _My gift to you is good memories. A good life for you and Henry._

 _You would do that?_

 _You will have the life you always wanted._

Ashes fell into the well, crumbling away as Emma's hand turned over and released the remains. Eyes fluttering shut and fingers slipping from red leather, Regina fell, collapsing lifeless to the ground.

The demon was laughing and saying something. Her words sounded garbled and unintelligible as Emma sunk to her knees, heedless of the swirl of smoke and magic growing to life within the depths of the old well. Shaking hands grasped Regina and pulled her up into her lap, cradling her limp body against her chest as a sob broke free.

She'd killed Regina.

"The curse will be upon us soon," the demon crowed, a perverse replica of Regina as she spun on her heels and nearly danced away, laughing. "It's been a pleasure, Savior."

Emma didn't look up - not when the demon disappeared in a plume of black smoke to await the curse, nor when her parents continued to throw themselves against the barrier, shouting her name.

It was Henry's heartbroken screams that had her lifting her head, deadened green eyes finding them at the edge of the barrier.

"Your heart, Emma!" Snow's cheeks shone with tears but her eyes were fierce with determination. "You can split your heart with her like I did with David!"

 _"Mom! Mom!"_ Henry cried out, his face contorted with pain even as he reached helplessly for his dead mother. Ruby struggled to hold him back, unable to bear seeing him try to throw himself against the barrier again. David and Snow moved to assist her, their arms encircling the sobbing boy.

"But I- I killed her," Emma gasped out, the reality of it hitting her like a stab to the heart. "I killed her because it couldn't take out my heart."

"But maybe _you_ can," David said, staring at her with a soft expression, one that Emma didn't think she even deserved after what she'd just done. Killed, _murdered_ Regina in front of them all. "She's your soulmate, Emma. If you love her, you can split your heart for her."

"You can do this, Emma," Snow said, giving her a pained smile. "Trust in your love."

"We have faith in you."

"Save her, Ma, please!"

Every word cut into her like a hot knife, lashing at her back as she knelt hunched over Regina's motionless form, the brunette cradled in her arms. She could hear the scuffling; David and Snow holding tight to Henry as he sobbed, desperate to run to both his mothers despite what Emma had just done- and what she now needed to do.

Ruby, August, the fairies, everyone else; their silence was suffocating, hanging over her like a thick fog, and Emma's eyes blurred with unending tears that fell and stained the satin dress shirt of the woman in her arms. A shaky hand found its way to Regina's pale, colorless cheek, gently stroking the unresponsive face, a thumb brushing over the familiar scar on crimson red lips.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking and broken. "I'll fix this, Regina. I promise."

Carefully lowering Regina's lifeless form to the ground, Emma settled her right hand against her own chest and took in a deep, steadying breath. She could feel her own heartbeat beneath her fingertips, pounding erratically with fear and pain and a million other emotions that she couldn't even put words to. All she knew was that she had to do this; it had to work. The alternative was too painful to even consider.

She looked down at Regina's face- peaceful, as if she were simply asleep- and one emotion came to the forefront, the most powerful feeling of all that stilled her trembling hands and readied her heart for what was to come.

"I do love you," Emma breathed out, before plunging her hand into her own chest.


	19. Of One Heart

_Merry Christmas, dear Swen! As my gift to you, I've just released new chapters for most of my fics in progress today. Please be sure to check them all out and, if you're feeling generous, leave me some comments with your thoughts. Happy Holidays and have an amazing New Year. ;)_

* * *

It didn't hurt, not like the time Cora tried to pull out her heart, nor the time the demon tried. She didn't feel much at all except for the warmth beneath her palm, the gentle thud of her heartbeat as her fingers curled around the organ and found it moving freely with her. Pulling it from her chest, Emma breathed out shakily, never having held her own heart in the palm of her hand before. It glowed a bright and vibrant red, each beat almost audible to her ears, the life-giving _thump, thump, thump._

She didn't know the barrier had disappeared until Snow knelt down next to her, steadying her trembling hand.

"Mom," she gasped out, tears blurring her vision. "What if-"

"Have hope, Emma." Gently taking the heart from her daughter's hand, Snow White wrapped her hands around it and met those green eyes with her own. "Do you love her?"

Emma didn't even hesitate. "With all my heart."

With one swift twist, the heart came apart in two clean pieces, Emma sucking in a sharp hiss through her teeth as pain sliced through her like a strike to the chest. Her vision went black for a moment, hands pressing to the ground to keep her sitting upright as she blinked away the tears in her eyes. In the next moment, Snow shoved half a heart back into her chest, the other into Regina. Emma vaguely heard her name called out before she crumpled down next to the lifeless brunette, unable to fight unconsciousness. It lasted only a few long seconds, her brain groggily coming to as Snow shook her shoulder.

"Emma?" she whispered, eyes wide and afraid. The blonde grimaced at her, then immediately turned towards Regina, throat closing up when the woman remained unmoving.

"Regina? Regina…" She sat up, focused only on her soulmate as her mother sat back to give her a little room. Giving the older woman's shoulder a gentle shake, Emma waited, breath held, the urge to sob rising with each passing second. "Regina…?"

Nothing. Emma's breath hitched, tears spilling over her cheeks as she leaned forward, sinking against Regina's chest with a muffled sob.

"Regina… please…"

Her mother's hand pulled gently on her shoulder but she pushed her away, unable to accept that she'd failed. She couldn't. She'd only just found her, they'd only just… How was it fair? She grit her teeth together until her jaw hurt, tears burning at her eyes as a sob forced its way from her chest, one after another, Regina's satin shirt soaking up her tears as she clung to the motionless body beneath her. All she could hear was Henry's sobs, the boy collapsed in David's arms, each cry cutting through Emma's heart, just as painful regardless of the fact that she only had half of it in her chest now. And then- something else, a strange sort of relief blossoming through her chest, an emotion that couldn't be hers. She opened her eyes in alarm at the same time a raspy voice said,

"I can't breathe, Miss Swan."

"Regina?"

Emma lifted her head, pushing up off of the other woman's torso to meet warm brown eyes and a soft smile.

"Hi," Regina said, eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Hi," Emma replied, staring. Then she laughed, one short, startled bark of laughter that turned into another sob as she all but threw herself atop the brunette again, tears of relief pouring down her cheeks. Behind them, the others cried out with joy at her revival, but in that moment nothing existed outside of Emma and Regina.

"I'm okay, Emma," Regina whispered, eyes closing with exhaustion as she held the blonde to her, one hand stroking gently through her hair. Warmth and joy and overwhelming love flooded into her chest, the combination of both their emotions now freely shared between them. Tears trickled down her temples where she still lay on the ground but she made no move to wipe them away, just relieved to be alive and with her soulmate in her arms. "We're okay."

After a moment, Henry pulled free from David's arms and threw himself down on top of both of them, nearly bawling in relief as he clutched to his mothers with a death grip. The three of them remained that way for a long few minutes, broken from their moment when Snow gasped aloud.

"Emma, Regina, you're-" she pointed, alarmed. Henry scrambled off of his mothers and the others all moved closer to see that both women's chests were glowing, a soft, diffused golden light emanating from their chests just over their hearts. Emma pressed her fingers against the spot, confused, feeling nothing but warmth beneath the touch.

"What-"

 _"Saviors, I need your help."_

The voice was like an echo in her head, and from the way only Regina's expression narrowed, they were the only two that heard it. Motioning for the others to stop speaking, Emma quickly climbed to her feet and gently lifted Regina with her, the two leaning together for balance.

"Do you hear that voice?" Regina asked quietly. Emma nodded.

"Yeah. Who's-"

 _"I am Hope. Please, you must help me. The Sins must be stopped."_

They exchanged a look, the others falling silent around them as they sensed that something was happening outside of their knowledge. Henry just clung to Regina, attached to her side with no intention of releasing her any time soon.

"Where have you been? We were searching for you," Emma muttered, frustration sparking within her. Had they found Hope sooner, Regina wouldn't have had to die - temporarily or not - at all. The brunette's arm squeezed around her shoulders, a touch of comfort.

 _"I was weak. I had to gather my strength. The sharing of your heart has given me the power I need. There is not much time, Saviors. The curse will be upon you soon. If we do not defeat the Sins, their wrath will be unleashed upon the Enchanted Forest."_

"Mulan and Aurora," Emma whispered in realization. There was a small kingdom trying to rebuild their lives there. They couldn't knowingly send the demon to ruin another world full of innocent people. "We can't let that happen. What do we do?"

 _"What you both have always done. Use your magic together. Combined with my newly restored power, you will be able to defeat the Sins. Please, we must hurry."_

Nodding to each other, Emma quickly relayed the conversation to the others while Regina squeezed Henry to her for another long minute, stroking his hair as he cried softly into her shirt.

"I watched you die," he rasped, knuckles white as he gripped the fabric of her shirt with a vengeance. Regina pressed soft kisses to his forehead.

"Shh, shh. I know. I'm so sorry, honey. I'm here now. I'm okay."

"Regina," Emma whispered, feeling a tug of urgency within her from Hope. The brunette nodded, kissing Henry again before motioning for Snow.

"Take him, keep him safe, please." Snow nodded and pulled him to her even as Henry's eyes flew open in panic, reaching for Regina with desperate hands.

"No! Mom, I don't want to leave you!"

"We'll be okay this time, Henry. We have to do this." Regina reached for Emma's hand, linking their fingers together. When Henry looked to his blonde mother, he could not hide the fear and mistrust in his eyes, the look cutting Emma deeply. She barely bit back a sob.

"Henry, I'm sorry…"

 _"I will shield you from the Sin's influence, Savior. You will not bow to their commands again."_

The promise did very little to help - the damage was already done from the way Henry stared at her, the memory of watching her kill his other mother fresh in his mind. Blinking back her tears, Emma looked to her parents and found nothing but acceptance in their gazes.

"You brought her back, that's all that matters," Snow said softly to her, before pulling the blonde down to place a soft kiss to her forehead. "Go. Finish this."

"Kick some ass, Em," said Ruby, the others echoing her sentiments. With Regina's hand in hers, Emma felt the magic rise between them, lilac smoke swirling around their bodies and spiriting them away. When it all cleared, they stood by the apple tree in Regina's backyard, everything quiet and peaceful around them.

"Is it here?" Emma whispered, glancing around with her hands raised defensively. Regina shook her head, taking Emma's hands in hers and giving them a gentle squeeze.

"I just wanted a minute with you."

"Regina…" Shoulders sagging, Emma blinked rapidly and sucked in a breath, trying not to cry again - because gods, she's cried more in these past two weeks than in her entire life put together. It was a futile attempt, because as soon as the brunette cupped her face and pulled her in for the gentlest of kisses, those tears overflowed and spilled down her already chapped cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, chest aching with pain, still remembering the way those brown eyes had lost their light, lashes fluttering shut as she had collapsed to the ground, dead. Regina felt the echo of her pain within her own chest, their halves of their heart sharing every emotion, and soothed it over with as much love as she could muster.

"You listen to me, Emma Swan. If not me, she would have forced you to sacrifice Henry. Better me than him. You did what you had to."

"But I fell for her trick. I helped cast the spell. If I hadn't-"

"Don't. Don't blame yourself." She pulled her in again, kissing her once, twice, three more times, Emma's soft whimpers dying from her lips. "You were an idiot, but you're my idiot. And now we're stronger together than we have ever been before."

"Regina…"

"We can end this now, Emma. We can defeat the demon and go back to our lives… We can start our life, together."

Watery green eyes lifted to meet her gaze, guilt and remorse swirling in their depths, a self-directed anger at having hurt the love of her life at all. With a shove, Regina pinned Emma against the trunk of the apple tree and kissed her hard.

"Tell me," the brunette whispered, gripping her by the lapels of her red leather jacket.

"I love you," Emma breathed out against her lips, clutching to her just as hard, tears falling. "I love you with all my heart."

"And I love you." They kissed again, arms tightening around each other, pressed heavily against the tree for balance. "With all my heart, and now yours."

 _"Saviors…"_

Regina smirked, Emma giving a watery laugh as they both pushed off of the tree and straightened up, feeling a new surge of energy rush through their bodies thanks to Hope. Holding out her hand and feeling Emma immediately link their fingers together, Regina smiled.

"Let's finish this."

The next swirl of lilac smoke set them down in the middle of main street, just paces away from where the demon - still wearing Regina's appearance in her Evil Queen glory - strolled leisurely down the middle of the road. Turning at their arrival, her surprise registered for only a moment before she snorted.

"You don't give up, do you, Savior? You should have just left things alone. Splitting your own heart? That just makes you _weak,_ " she spat.

"No, it doesn't." Emma glanced sideways, meeting soft brown eyes and a trusting smile, the rush of love and reassurance echoing in her half of their shared heart. "It makes us strong."

They both struck at once, hands thrown out as their magic blasted from their palms, Emma's white almost gold and Regina's red now a bright, beautiful fuschia. Caught within their magic, the demon screamed and thrashed, shock in her gaze when she realized there was something different about their combined magic - Hope. Hope's power thrummed in their veins and it burned her now, searing away at her darkness.

"No!" she shrieked, furious, pushing back with her own dark magic. Emma and Regina only pushed harder, stepping forward in tandem as the demon fell back and scrambled painfully on the pavement, the old wound on her chest bleeding profusely as their light magic overtook her.

"Get the hell out of our town," Regina growled, watching as the darkness puddled and pooled around the demon's withering body. She and Emma took another step forward, pushing every last ounce of magic they had, Hope's power flaring within them like a bright burst of light burning away every shred of darkness. The demon screamed, a raw and inhuman scream as it coiled up against the pavement, nothing but a thrashing shadow of inky black.

And then, in a bright flash and an explosion of light, the demon was gone, a blank and unnamed Dark One dagger clattering hollowly to the ground.

Emma panted, hands buzzing and tingling as she dropped them to her sides, sucking in great lungfuls of air as the rush of power just as quickly faded from her body and left her tired and breathless.

"Emma," Regina said softly, breathing just as hard. She reached out a hand for her, smiling brilliantly. Taking her hand, Emma pulled her into her arms and held her tightly, kissing the side of her head and laughing in disbelief.

"We did it," she gasped, the two of them stumbling and swaying on the spot, hands clutching at fabric and fingers burrowing into hair. Emma pulled back just a little, licking at dry lips as Regina beamed at her.

"We did it," she confirmed, breathless. "It's over."

They both leaned in, closing the distance and kissing each other hard, and for that moment, nothing else in the world existed. Nothing but the soft hum of Hope's power in their shared heart as the spirit went quiet within them, allowing them their moment.

"Emma! Regina!"

It was Snow's voice that brought them both up for air, watching as their friends and family hurried down the street towards them, Henry in the forefront as he sprinted for them.

"We saw the flash of light," said David, looking around for signs of the demon. His eyes fell instead on the tendrils of darkness rising up from the dagger, fear clutching at his heart as the shadows gravitated towards his daughter and Regina. "Look out!"

They spun, alarmed, without time enough to do anything more than jerk away in surprise as the darkness lunged forward and grappled onto Regina like a lifeline. Emma was flung back by a blast of energy, she and Henry crashing to the ground as the darkness grew and became an angry vortex whipping around the brunette, caging her within.

"Regina!"

"Mom!" Henry screamed.

 _"It must be tethered to a new host to be contained!"_

Emma scrambled up, all but throwing Henry into Snow and David's arms before lunging to pick up the dagger from where it lay on the ground. She turned back to the vortex as Regina stumbled and struggled to see her through the shadows.

"Emma! No!" The blonde hesitated, clutching the weapon hard in her hand even as Regina tried to stumble away from her. "There has to be another way!"

"There isn't." The darkness swirled violently around the brunette, closing in on her with only one intention: snuffing out the light. And Emma could feel the fear within the half of the heart Regina had, a half that was light and good and deserved so much more than being smothered, not after everything they had gone through. Not after everything they had fought so fiercely for. "You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed!"

Time almost stood still. The gust whipped sharply at their clothes and Regina could only focus on Emma in that moment, saw the resolve in those green eyes and felt her heart sink in response. Regina's lips moved, speaking, her voice drowned out by the vortex, but her words were clear to the blonde.

"You _are_ my happiness."

Emma smiled. Then she thrust the dagger forward.

The darkness grabbed hold of her and swapped targets, pushing away David where the man had tried to circle around to pull his daughter out of harm's way. Regina stumbled back into Snow and Henry's arms as the vortex swallowed up Emma in her place, screaming out her name but getting nothing in response. Slowly, ever so agonizingly slowly, the wind died down and the vortex petered off until Emma was left standing there in the remnants of black smoke, clutching the dagger, a stunned look on her face.

Silence suddenly descended upon the street, everyone frozen in place, mouths agape.

"Emma…?" Regina whispered, pushing away Snow's hands and taking a few tentative steps forward. When Emma blinked up at her looking somewhat sheepish, she rushed to close the distance and grasp the blonde by her shoulders, tears in her eyes. _"Why?"_

"People do crazy things when they're in love," Emma teased softly, her voice raspy. She held the dagger up in her hands, somber but unsurprised to see her own name now etched into the black blade.

"Oh, Emma…"

"I can do this," she said, managing a small smile. "I can fight it until we find a cure."

"Ma?" Henry inched towards them, eyes wide and upset. Emma lowered the dagger again, expression falling when he did not make a move to hug her. "You… you're the Dark One now?"

"Yeah, kid," she replied, voice barely above a whisper.

"You did it to save Mom."

Reaching forward, Emma gently linked her fingers with Regina's. "Yeah."

Without another word, he stepped forward and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Emma closed her eyes and breathed out, feeling Regina hug them both, their warmth enveloping her in the way it always did.

"Oh, Emma," Snow whispered, David's arm around her shoulder as they and the others moved in closer, eyes on the dagger in her hand with various looks of empathy and pain. Ruby and Granny lowered their heads, the former looking somewhat ill with unease. Nova looked about two seconds away from bursting into tears.

"I can do this," Emma insisted, voice strengthening as she met her parents' gazes. "I'm the Savior. I won't let the darkness control me."

"We'll be here for you, every step of the way," Regina murmured, squeezing her hand. They both shared a small smile, one that faltered as an orb of light escaped both their chests, joining back into one and floating just near their heads. When Hope spoke next, it was a soft echo of a voice, audible to everyone there.

 _"The curse, Savior. It is upon us."_

The group turned all at once, watching as a tide of grey smoke washed over the town, spreading from the well's location and making its way towards main street at an alarming speed. Some of the others shifted uneasily, but Snow frowned and pinned Hope with a stare.

"The demon said it wouldn't take any of us," she reminded them, standing her ground. "We'll be fine, won't we? It will wash over us and disappear?"

 _"The curse was meant to take the Sins…"_

"Who was also the Dark One," Emma finished faintly, realization hitting her like a freight train. Regina's hand tensed in hers, wide brown eyes finding her gaze as the grey smoke rushed towards them, seconds away from overtaking the group.

"No!" Snow cried out, looking to the orb of light for help. "Hope! There has to be something you can do!"

 _"I'm sorry. There isn't."_

"Emma?" Regina clutched at her hand, the panic in her eyes mirroring Emma's.

"I'll find my way back to you," the blonde said, feeling Henry's arms crushing her in a vice-like hug in an attempt to keep her there. "I'll always find my way back to you."

Regina threw her arms around her soulmate and her son, pulling the three of them tightly together as the smoke crashed over them all. She cried out as the pressure of Emma's hand in hers disappeared and the sound of a dagger clattered to the pavement.

When the smoke cleared and the town was left perfectly intact, Emma was gone.


End file.
